Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images. Pictured: Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Bills vs. Lions Odds
| Bills Odds | +1.5 |
| Lions Odds | -1.5 |
| Over/Under | 37 |
| Date | Friday, Aug. 13 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | NFL Network |
*NFL odds updated as of Wednesday at 10:20 a.m. ET
Last week, star quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills agreed to a six-year contract extension potentially worth $258 million, with $150 million guaranteed.
With Buffalo’s future now likely locked up for the next six seasons, it’s not all that surprising the team will be as careful as possible with its franchise quarterback.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced that Allen will not play in Buffalo’s NFL preseason Week 1 matchup. While not much of a shock overall, Allen’s absence still had a notable effect on Bills vs. Lions odds ahead of Friday’s game.
Below, we summarize the Bills vs. Lions line movement following news that Allen will not suit up.
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Bills vs. Lions Line Movement
Buffalo initially opened as a 2-point favorite against Detroit, a line that sat at +1 around 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
However, once Allen’s status for Friday became public, the spread flipped from Detroit +1 to -1.5 at BetMGM. Interestingly, the over/under didn’t budge at all, which is curious considering Allen’s absence will certainly lower the Bills’ offensive ceiling in this game.
While the Lions have yet to announce the plan for the starters, the 37-point total might offer a bit of value for over/under bettors.
According to our Bet Labs software, unders are 328-250-11 for a 56.7% win rate in NFL preseason games, with closing totals of 37 and above since the start of the 2004 season.