Can the Bills win a Super Bowl with this defense? Oddsmakers say everyone is just as flawed

The Buffalo Bills have been a defensive dumpster fire. It can't be a recipe to win a Super Bowl, right?I mean, right?The top sportsbooks disagree.Coming off their bye week, the Bills have the best odds to win the Super Bowl across the board. An average of Bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesar’s and FanDuel has the Bills at +640, with FanDuel (+600) and DraftKings (+670) giving them the top odds.All five betting powers have the Bills as the AFC favorite. Odds obviously fluctuate regularly, but Las Vegas clearly believes the 5-1 Bills will find a way to fix their woeful defense or score enough points to negate how many they allow.The Bills enter Week 7 ranked 31st in total yards (386.8) and passing yards (285.8) allowed per game. They are 30th in points (28.5) and dead last in first downs allowed (154). But they are also first in points scored (32.8), fourth in total yards (387.7), second in rushing (148.8) and 12th in passing (238.8), all while being on pace to set an NFL record by scoring on 57.1% of their possessions.History (and maybe common sense) says the dismal defensive numbers make winning — or getting to — a Super Bowl untenable, no matter how good the offense is. But the NFL is a flawed league without a dominant team as the schedule nears the midway point.The NFL’s last undefeated team — the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings — aren’t getting better than +1800 odds to win the Super Bowl on any site. That’s because they aren’t given the same benefit of the doubt as the Bills.Despite ranking second in total defense and first in scoring defense (12.3 points per game), the Vikings also rank 29th in total offense with Kyler Murray at the helm.So let’s take a look at some of the other perceived top contenders:San Francisco 49ers (6-1)Average odds: +670Total offense rank: 8Total defense rank: 4Biggest flaw: Injuries. San Francisco’s fatal flaw always seems to be injuries. Star Nick Bosa is again battling knee injuries, while wide receivers Mike Evans (Achilles/ribs) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) are fighting age and injury. They also have three receivers and four defensive linemen on injured reserve.Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)Average odds: +950Total offense rank: 6Total defense rank: 14Biggest flaw: Injuries. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid always make the Chiefs a contender, but there are perpetual questions about the offensive line. And, frankly, the Chiefs don’t have the weapons around Mahomes to terrify opponents anymore. Mahomes is averaging 31.8 passing attempts per game — five below his career average — as the Chiefs have leaned on the league’s second-leading rusher Kenneth Walker III. And the Chiefs failed to reach the red zone in Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Seahawks for the first time in the Mahomes era.Los Angeles Rams (3-4)Average odds: +1014Total offense rank: 1Total defense rank: 5Biggest flaw: Injuries. Clearly oddsmakers bank on the Rams getting healthier. They have played without star edge rusher Myles Garrett for most of the season, while wide receiver Puka Nacua has missed time and Davante Adams (hamstring) is scheduled to miss extended time. Matthew Stafford, 38, is the NFL’s leading passer, but he’s looked his age at times, while the Rams have been quick to abandon the run.Baltimore Ravens (4-3)Average odds: +1060Total offense rank: 9Total defense rank: 11Biggest flaw: Injuries. Is Lamar Jackson going to be healthy? If Jackson comes back soon — there is conflicting belief if he will play against the Bills Sunday — from an ankle injury, the Ravens are certainly AFC contenders. They have lost consecutive games without him and it’s hard to gauge Baltimore’s identity under new coach Jesse Minter because of Jackson’s absence.Seattle Seahawks (4-3)Average odds: +1080Total offense rank: 14Total defense rank: 1Biggest flaw: We know what the Seahawks can do defensively. But they have endured injuries to quarterback Sam Darnold, running backs Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet, and a new offensive coordinator. Darnold has eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, but played much better against the Chiefs because Emmanuel Wilson ran for 100 yards. If Seattle can get its run game going to keep Darnold from being a drop-back passer, it will once again be in the mix.Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)Average odds: +1440Total offense rank: 10Total defense rank: 20Biggest flaw: Before a 34-31 Week 5 loss to the Houston Texans, the Jaguars hadn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points this season. Former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence has plenty of weapons around him. The big question is whether he can ascend in the playoffs this season.Chicago Bears (5-2)Average odds: +1600Total offense rank: 3Total defense rank: 8Biggest flaw: Injuries. The Bears went 3-1 while quarterback Caleb Williams was injured. In his return Thursday, Williams made some fantastic throws to beat the New England Patriots. He has the NFL’s top rushing offense and plenty of weapons at receiver. Williams has also thrown five touchdowns to one interception on 71.8% completions. But he’s also been sacked 12 times, a persistent issue since being the No. 1 pick in 2024. If Williams keeps improving his decision-making, the Bears could be a legitimate contender.Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)Average odds: +1780Total offense rank: 12Total defense rank: 21Biggest flaw: Joe Burrow has cut down on sacks, but the same questions remain with the Bengals that persist yearly. Can Burrow stay healthy? Can the Bengals run the ball? Can the defense stop anyone? The defense has improved, but still has issues against the pass. Meanwhile, the run game is still sputtering at 81.2 yards per game, which is 29th in the NFL.Detroit Lions (4-2)Average odds: +1800Total offense rank: 2Total defense rank: 32Biggest flaw: Injuries. It’s hard to believe the team that got thumped by the Bills in Week 2 could be a contender. But Detroit’s offensive line has become healthier and the Lions are still among the league’s most versatile offenses. Can the defense play well enough? It has allowed 38 points over the last two games after allowing over 30 in three of the first four games, although they need to show more consistency. Sound familiar?