The New England Patriots maintained their perfect record with a gutsy victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. The defending champions will look to keep their hot start going this coming Sunday when they take on the resurgent Buffalo Bills in a blockbuster clash at Gillette Stadium.
Who will emerge victorious in this Monday Night Football showdown? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this AFC East matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our Week 11 previews of Carolina vs. Washington and Green Bay vs. Minnesota.
Line: Buffalo Bills (+7.5) at New England Patriots (-7.5); total: 48.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Buffalo Bills (5-4)
Buffalo stretched its unbeaten run to two games with an impressive 22-17 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday. It was an incredible victory by the Bills, who won their first prime-time road game in 14 years. They’ll have an opportunity to make it two in a row when they face the New England Patriots in a much-anticipated Monday Night Football clash at Gillette Stadium on November 23.
[sc:NFL240banner ]It will be Buffalo’s first MNF appearance since its opening-night loss to New England in 2009. For the Bills to pull off the victory this time around, they will need to build on their strong defensive performance against the Jets. Apart from nabbing two picks and recovering a fumble, Rex Ryan’s defense also stopped the Jets inside the Bills’ 10 in the dying minutes to preserve Buffalo’s victory.
They will need to bring that same kind of defensive intensity for them to stop a red-hot New England offense this coming Monday. The Patriots are tops in the NFL in total offense, averaging 418.7 yards per game this season. The Bills, however, will face a New England side that will be missing the services of Julian Edelman, who broke his foot in the game against the Giants. Edelman entered that said contest as the Pats’ leading receiver, with 57 receptions for 639 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Patriots flexed their offensive might in their first game with the Bills this season, amassing a total of 507 yards. The Bills will need to find a way to stop Tom Brady who threw for 466 yards in that game, the second-most of his illustrious career.
To keep in step with New England’s high-powered offense, the Bills will need to get outstanding contributions from Karlos Williams and LeSean McCoy once again. Williams is in a rich vein of form, notching a touchdown in each of his first six games. McCoy, on the other hand, was superb against the Jets, rushing for 112 yards. He also had 47 yards receiving in that game.
The Bills are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 road games against the Patriots.
The New England Patriots will head to their showdown with the Buffalo Bills with momentum on their side after edging past the New York Giants, 27-26, on Sunday. Stephen Gostkowski hit a 54-yard field goal with a second remaining in the game clock to help the Patriots preserve their unblemished record. With the win, the Patriots improved to 9-0 for the first time since 2007 and just the second time in their franchise’s history.
Key to the Patriots’ sizzling start has been their phenomenal offense. The Patriots are averaging a league-best 33.7 points per game this season. Just like in their previous eight outings, it was Tom Brady who starred for the Patriots against the Giants. He completed 26 of 42 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Brady was particularly clutch on New England’s final possession, driving the Patriots 44 yards and converting a fourth-and-10 on the series.
Rob Gronkowski was Brady’s favorite target in this game, catching five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. His 76-yard TD reception was the longest of Gronkowski’s career. Danny Amendola also benefited from Brady’s masterful performance, recording 76 receiving yards on Sunday. The Patriots already have 24 passing touchdowns this season, the highest mark in the NFL.
It’s important for the Patriots that their receivers step up again this coming Monday for them to preserve their unbeaten slate against the Bills. The Patriots are averaging 325.9 passing yards per game this season, second in the NFL. They will be licking their chops at the prospect, however, of facing a Bills secondary that has already allowed 17 passing touchdowns this season, fifth-worst in the NFL.
The Patriots are 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games against the Bills.
