Lions vs. Bills Odds Movement: Spread Continues to Climb Towards Buffalo Ahead of Thursday Night

Thursday Night Football in Week 2 features a great matchup between two potential Super Bowl contenders in the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions.

While these teams are both projected to make the playoffs in 2026, the betting market has given Buffalo a clear edge at home in Week 2, and the spread for this game has changed quite a bit since it first was released after Week 1.

Buffalo opened as a 3-point favorite at home in this matchup, with the total set at 52.5 points. Those odds have shifted significantly over the past few days, with the Bills now set as 5.5-point favorites in this matchup.

Lions vs. Bills Odds, Spread and Total for NFL Week 2

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Lions +5.5 (-115)
Bills -5.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Lions: +195
Bills: -238

Total

54.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

A 2.5-point move is extremely significant, especially when there isn't a major injury for either team.

According to DraftKings, 80 percent of the moneyline bets and 64 percent of the spread bets in this game are on the Bills. Buffalo was able to win and cover in Week 1 against the Houston Texans while the Lions failed to cover in their overtime win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

In addition to the movement to the spread, the total has jumped two points from 52.5 to 54.5 -- the highest total on the board in Week 2. These teams combined for 61 (Detroit) and 67 (Buffalo) points in Week 1, and oddsmakers are expecting both offenses to go off again on Thursday.

Earlier this week, SI Betting's senior editor Iain MacMillan shared his best bet for this game in his Road to 272 column, and he's eyeing the Lions as underdogs, especially with the recent line movement:

As tempting as it is to back the Bills after how both teams looked in the opening week, I have to do my best not to overreact to a one-game sample size and stick to my belief that the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL. Their metrics were elite last season, but injuries and poor variance led to them missing the playoffs.

There's no denying that Josh Allen is once again going to be an MVP candidate, but let's not overlook the fact that their defense allowed the Texans to rack up yards and points against them last week. Their defensive roster is completely different from a year ago, so I didn't know what to expect from them this season, but ranking 19th in opponent EPA per play and 22nd in opponent success rate isn't a good start.

The public clearly is buying the Bills in this game, but at some point the Lions and Jared Goff are getting a few too many points considering how explosive their offense has been in the Dan Campbell era.

It'll be interesting to see where this spread ends up by the time this game kicks off on Thursday night.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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