The Indianapolis Colts visit the Buffalo Bills for both teams’ first preseason game. The Colts are coming off a season in which they made the playoffs, while the Bills are still searching for answers for their football maladies. The Colts are +600 to win the AFC, while the Bills are +900 to win the AFC East.
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Betting Preview for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Buffalo Bills NFL Preseason Week 1 Game on August 8, 2019
Where: New Era Field, Buffalo
When: Thursday, August 8, 2019, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Indianapolis Colts (pk) vs. Buffalo Bills (pk) – view all 2019 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on Indianapolis Colts (0-0)
Last season was full of uncertainties for the Colts, especially on Andrew Luck, who was returning after sitting down all of the 2017 NFL season. Turns out Luck was still the capable quarterback of old. We’ll see of Luck will continue his upswing this year, but for this preseason game, he’s not the quarterback to watch for the Colts. Instead, it’s going to be Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly, who are both battling for the No. 3 spot on the team’s QB depth watch. Walker went undrafted in 2017, while Kelly was the last pick of that year’s draft class. The Colts will also be taking a look at their offensive line and what improvements they can do in terms of depth after ranking among the best in pass protection in 2018 in which they allowed just 18 sacks — the fewest in the league overall. Defensively, the Colts are interested in the early progress of 2019 draft pick Rock Ya-Sin. The cornerback was drafted in the second round and is joining Indianapolis’ stop unit that had 15 interceptions last season.
The Colts are 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four preseason games.
Betting on Buffalo Bills (0-0)
The Bills are entering Year 2 of the Josh Allen era, and while they still don’t have a certain grasp of what they have in the sophomore quarterback, they know enough to let him rest up for this preseason matchup against the Colts. Most of the quarterback snaps will likely be split between Matt Barkley and Tyree Jackson. Barkley has been around the NFL for some time, and it’s more interesting to see what Jackson can bring to the table. His spot on the Bills opening day roster is largely dependent on what he shows in the preseason. In any case, it appears as though the Bills’ defense is going to carry this team more than their offense. Last season, the Bills were second in the NFL in defensive efficiency and 14th against the run. LeSean McCoy is still positioned as Buffalo’s No. 1 running back, but the Bills drafted a running back this year in Devin Singletary, who should see plenty of snaps against Indianapolis. Singletary still has a shot at the Bills’ starting gig, so expect him to take this preseason games very seriously.
The under is 7-3 in its last 10 preseason games dating back to 2016.
Writer’s Prediction
Colts win, 26-23.
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