Chiefs are Super Bowl betting favorites, while Lions attract action - ESPN

It turns out that the NFL's 2023 season opener between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs was a showcase for the two teams that would be the most relevant for Super Bowl futures ahead of the 2024 season.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are both the consensus betting favorites and one of the most popular picks to win an unprecedented third consecutive championship, showing +500 odds on ESPN BET, where they've attracted a leading 13% of tickets and 17% of handle.

DraftKings and FanDuel also have Kansas City as their bets and money leader, reporting 17% of tickets and 17% of handle, and 11% of tickets and 19% of handle, respectively.

«It's been largely one-way traffic with the Chiefs in terms of betting interest once again,» ESPN BET head of sportsbook Patrick Jay said.

Kansas City was a popular futures pick last season, as the reigning Super Bowl champion always takes an immediate surge of money, according to BetMGM trading manager Christian Cipollini.

«There's a lot of action on the Chiefs and a lot of money, but when you're 5-to-1, it takes a lot more money to put you in a hazardous position as the bookmaker,» DraftKings director of sportsbook operations Johnny Avello told ESPN. «When you've got all these other teams with a much higher number, it takes a smaller amount to put you in a hazard.»

One of those teams is the Lions (+1000), who have taken 15.9% of the handle and a leading 13.3% of the wagers at BetMGM to be the book's largest liability. ESPN BET, DraftKings and FanDuel all show Detroit taking the second-largest percentage of bet share both by bets and money. The Lions have been a public darling since coach Dan Campbell took the helm.

«We had way more liability on them last season because