BUFFALO, N.Y. — As the NFL season gets underway, the Buffalo Bills are once again among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and one prominent oddsmaker believes the team may have what it takes to finally finish the job.
Watch the oddsmaker break down the odds:
DraftKings head oddsmaker Johnny Avello, a member of the Sports Betting Hall of Fame once dubbed the “Wizard of Odds” by The New York Times, said he believes Buffalo has the talent to win it all.
“This team is good enough to have a Super Bowl win, actually multiple Super Bowl wins, but they don't even have one,” Avello said. “So, time's coming. Hopefully it'll be this year for them.”
On DraftKings, the Bills have the best odds to win the AFC, narrowly ahead of the Baltimore Ravens. Buffalo also has the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, trailing only the Los Angeles Rams.
New season is just days away
But the road to a championship begins Sunday in Houston.
The Bills have not beaten the Texans on the road since 2006, and Houston handed Buffalo a four-point loss last November. Josh Allen was sacked eight times in that game.
“They got after us last year,” Allen said. “There's no secret about it.”
Despite that history, DraftKings lists Buffalo as a 1.5-point favorite entering Sunday's matchup.
Related: Projecting the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster following the end of the preseason & training camp
Avello said the biggest reason is simple: Josh Allen.
“Josh Allen is Josh Allen,” he said.
Allen also enters the season as the favorite to win the NFL MVP award, according to DraftKings, at +600 odds ahead of fellow quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
Avello said Allen's unique ability as a runner and his competitive drive make him especially difficult to bet against — while also noting the importance of staying healthy.
“He just takes off and he has a will to not only get that first down or get whatever he needs to keep the drive going, but a will to win,” Avello said. “You can see it in his face. That's the kind of guy you want on your team.”
A new era in Buffalo
The Bills also enter the season with plenty of change.
Buffalo has a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator, a new No. 1 wide receiver and is preparing to play in its new stadium.
Avello believes the changes could ultimately benefit the Bills.
“Maybe some guys will bring some more energy, some more leadership in the clubhouse,” he said.
Related: Buffalo Bills introduce new head coach Sean McDermott
The expectations, however, remain the same.
Buffalo has won at least 11 games in each of the past six full seasons, but Avello said regular-season success isn't what Bills fans are ultimately looking for anymore.
“Every year it's 11, 12 wins, so that's never an issue,” he said. “But it's about winning the whole thing.”
After Sunday's game in Houston, the Bills return home for a historic matchup.
One week from Thursday, Buffalo will host the Detroit Lions in the first-ever regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.
That game will be broadcast on 7ABC, with complete pregame and postgame coverage.
