On the road, the New England Patriots are 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread. The Buffalo Bills are currently 2-4 straight up and 3-3 ATS at home on New Era Field.
The Patriots are the best team in the AFC right now. New England is on fire having won seven games in a row. Tom Brady is playing the best he has ever played right now. Last week Brady was 18 of 28 for 227 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. With Brady playing at an MVP caliber level, the Patriots are expected to earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Last season, New England destroyed the Bills in both games. First shutting them out 16-0, then finishing the season series with a, 41-25 win. Look for the Patriots offense to have a ton of confidence going into this matchup. New England has owned Buffalo in the Brady/Belichick era. The defense for New England is much improved on the season. In last week’s win against the Dolphins, the Patriots defense limited the Dolphins to just 221 total yards of offense for the game.
Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore passed was 23 of 34 for 215 yards, one touchdown and threw two interceptions. With the Patriots improving from week to week on defense, the unit will be well prepared for Buffalo in this matchup. Expect the Patriots defense to force Tyrod Taylor to be less than a game manager in this week.
The Buffalo Bills are coming off a much needed season changing road win at Kansas City. The Bills went into Arrowhead Stadium and got a six point win. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor was one heck of a game manager in last weeks victory. He passed for 183 yards and one touchdown. The week before, Taylor was benched after throw five interceptions in a blowout home loss against the Saints.
After being benched, and replacement Nathan Peterman threw five interceptions, Taylor will remain the teams starter and captain for the remainder of the year. This week, expect Taylor to play this game with a chip on his shoulder. If he can lead the Bills to a win against Patriots, all critics will be silenced.
Aside from Taylor, Buffalo needs a huge game from Shady McCoy. If McCoy can gain over 150 total yards, the Bills will make this game interesting. Defensively, the Bills looked like the team from the first month of the season last week. Buffalo limited the Chiefs to 10 points and just 236 total yards for the game. With confidence overflowing from last weeks win, the defense will need to stay focused against a team who has dominated them.
Writer’s Prediction
Teams will be fired up for this game. There is no need for the teams to get familiar with each other. Again this season, the Patriots are by far the more talented in this one. Tom Brady will be prepared, and should have no issues leading New England to win in this game. Buffalo’s short lived confidence will come crashing down at home. Take New England to cover in this matchup. Pick: Pats (-9)
