A lone Detroit Lions fan reacts to the stunning 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round NFL playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. Sportsbooks took a partial victory lap following the elimination of the Detroit Lions, Super Bowl favorites entering the divisional playoff with the highest handle and ticket percentage for most major operators in that futures market.
The Lions were bounced from the NFC field by the Washington Commanders, who were a 10-point underdog by kickoff on Saturday night. Money shifted to Washington as the number grew ahead of the game and it paid off in a 45-31 win. The Commanders had a moneyline of anywhere between +376 to +430 and wound up in their first NFC Championship game since 1991.
“The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM. On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders win also ruined the popular chalk money line parlay of Lions, Chiefs, and Ohio State,” Christian Cipollini, BetMGM trading manager, said Monday.
After wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, the Commanders are ticketed for a third road game this weekend and their third matchup this season with NFC East division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles and Commanders split two entertaining games in the regular season.
FanDuel lists the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites Monday and the Commanders are fourth of the remaining four teams in the Super Bowl futures odds market. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship at ESPN Bet and Fan Duel.
BetMGM moved the Eagles from +400 to win the Super Bowl last week to current +180 odds, overtaking the Lions as the favorite.
The Chiefs went from +350 last week to +240, narrowly ahead of the Bills. Buffalo went from +400 to +250 and the Commanders moved from +3000 at kickoff of the Lions’ game to +700 at BetMGM. FanDuel lists Washington at +750, the Eagles as the favorite at +180 and Kansas City (+220) ahead of the Bills (+250).
The most popular exact result Super Bowl matchup on the board at FanDuel and Draft Kings is the Chiefs beating the Eagles (+380), just ahead of the Eagles beating the Chiefs (+410).
Like Washington to keep it rolling? Consider the Commanders to beat the Chiefs (+1300) or Bills (+1600) at Fan Duel.
Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is +700 in the Super Bowl MVP futures market, fifth behind Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (+550) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (+400) and co-favorites Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+280) at Draft Kings.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is sixth at +2800.
–Field Level Media
