The Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs, but they are not going to stop there. They have a chance of winning the AFC East, but they need to win out and hope that the Pats lose out. They will try to take a step closer to that goal with a game in Foxboro this coming weekend, but it will not be an easy task against the defending Super Bowl champions who are +600 to win Super Bowl 54.
In a grinding matchup, it was the Bills who emerged with a win last Sunday, when they eked out a 17-10 victory on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Buffalo’s defense stymied the Steelers’ attack. The Bills picked Pittsburgh quarterback Devlin Hodges four times, made four sacks, and forced a total of five turnovers while holding the Steelers down to only 229 total yards. The Bills’ stop unit was just as effective against the Patriots back in Week 4, as Buffalo limited Tom Brady to only 150 passing yards and picked him once while giving up just 74 rushing yards to the Patriots’ backfield. The Bills’ offense was ugly too in that game, with Josh Allen and Matt Barkley combining for zero touchdowns and four interceptions. However, rookie running back Devin Singletary was not around then due to injury, so this will be the first time he will be a factor in a game against the Patriots. Singletary is the Bills’ best rushing weapon. He leads the team with 729 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the season.
The Bills, who are allowing just 15.9 points per game, are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games.
Betting on the New England Patriots (11-3)
The Patriots got the job done last Sunday, destroying the Cincinnati Bengals on the road (with or without the help of an alleged video of Cincy’s practice) to the tune of a 34-13 score. The win snapped New England’s two-game losing skid and helped restore some of the calmness of a worried fanbase in Foxboro. Brady completed 15 of 29 passes for 128 passing yards and two touchdowns while running back Sony Michel led the team with 89 rushing yards. Overall, the Patriots had 175 rushing yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. The Patriots won the first meeting this season with Buffalo on the strength of their defense that flummoxed Allen and company. The Patriots’ secondary made life hard for Allen in the air, and that same unit can be a problem again for the Bills on Saturday. Against the Bengals, the pair of Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson had a total of four interceptions. The Patriots are head and shoulders above anyone in the league with 25 interceptions.
The Patriots are 4-2 ATS in their last six games against the Bills.
