- Patrick Mahomes was injured in the Browns vs. Chiefs game.
- The sportsbooks are unsure if he will play in the AFC Championship Game.
- Despite that, the Chiefs are still favored over the Bills.
LAS VEGAS - Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is the heart of the Chiefs offense, which makes him the heart of the team. There was shock among sports bettors when Mahomes, who was on pace for over 400 yards against the Browns, left the game with an injury.
Patrick Mahomes leaves the game with an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/vgzD6xKtsA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 17, 2021
Mahomes’ Chiefs still won that game, of course, but the offense was wildly ineffective in his absence, and one wonders how that must affect sports bettors when it comes to the AFC Championship Game.
The fact is, nobody knows if Mahomes will play or not, and the lines are already up and moving.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills Odds
- Buffalo Bills +3.0 (-120)
- Kansas City Chiefs -3.0 (+100)
This provides some interesting opportunities to sports bettors who think they know which direction Mahomes is trending.
If Mahomes plays, it’s likely that getting in on KC’s spread now is a good call, as it could go up to somewhere in the 4-5 point range once his injury status is known.
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If he doesn’t play, it’s highly likely that Buffalo are the favorites coming into the game, which means getting them at +3.0 is a good call.
In other words, NFL bettors will be glued to twitter and TV this week, looking for news of Mahomes’ status.
There’s genuine value in keeping appraised of this, because the line right now is untenable - it will be drastically different depending on which way the news breaks.
Right now, it seems as though the sportsbooks are hedging towards the idea of Mahomes playing.
The Chiefs would have no right to be favored if they knew for sure that he was out, and the fact that the line is sitting at Chiefs -3 is an indicator that they don’t want to get burned if he plays.
Basically, they seem more worried about the eventuality where he plays than about the one where he doesn’t. The Chiefs, and their backers, might take some hope from this, but remember, nobody knows anything until it happens.
When it comes to Mahomes’ status, NFL betting fans will have to wait and see, and take action as soon as possible after the information comes out.
Maxwell joined the USAOnlineSportsbooks team in 2019. He focuses on creating sports betting content that informs and educates. He focuses on the NBA, the NFL, College Football and Basketball, and whatever else comes across his desk.
