An overtime victory against the defending Super Bowl champions and a loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers have the New York Jets in control of the final Wild Card playoff berth heading into the final week of the regular season. The Jets have now won five-straight games, and will need to win their Week 17 matchup against AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are already out of the playoff race, but could still act as spoilers. They’ve actually been tough to beat at home, winning their last three games at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The playoff race is on in the final week of the NFL Regular Season. Check out the complete previews for the Steelers vs. Browns and Jaguars vs. Texans.
[sc:Football ]New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills Preview
Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo
When: Sunday, January 3, 1:00 PM ET
Line: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the New York Jets (10-5)
Eric Decker hauled in a six-yard scoring pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick in the first drive of overtime as the New York Jets bested New England 26-20 in a crucial home win, which put them in the driver’s seat of their playoff hopes. Fitzpatrick finished with 296 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, and also tied a franchise record for passing scores in a season with 29.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Fitzpatrick will need to play as well or better if he is to lead the Jets to a victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. He struggled aplenty against the Bills in Week 10, throwing for just 193 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Fitzpatrick should have a much better game the second time around against Buffalo, especially with wide receiver Brandon Marshall playing out of his mind in the Jets’ five-game win streak.
Marshall has averaged 115.2 yards per game with six total touchdowns in the past five weeks, a far cry from his three-catch, 23-yard effort against Buffalo in Week 10. Fellow wideout Decker has also been effective with four touchdown receptions in the last five games, and was the most effective Jets receiver in the first game against Buffalo with 85 yards and a score.
While the Jets’ receiving game has been solid of late, the rushing game has mostly been listless. Chris Ivory has now rushed for less than 39 yards in the last two games, though he could see an upswing against a Buffalo team he already torched earlier this season. Ivory rushed for 99 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for 38 yards in Week 10 against Buffalo.
What should make the Jets’ backfield more effective is the rise of Bilal Powell, who has at least 79 combined yards in each of his last four games.
A solid defense also powered the Jets’ five-game run, as that unit allowed just 16.8 points per game during the win streak. Opponents have completed just 57 percent of their passes against the Jets since Week 12, with New York’s secondary having generated seven interceptions during that span.
The Jets are 5-2-2 ATS in their last nine games away from home.
Betting on the Buffalo Bills (7-8)
A pair of rookie running backs led the Buffalo Bills to a 16-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Mike Gillislee ran for 93 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown with 2:25 left to ice the game. Karlos Williams also had a big day, rushing for 76 yards and a score.
It was the perfect recipe for a victory, which head coach Rex Ryan prefers himself: a ground-breaking running game and awesome defense. The Bills ran for 236 yards as a team, and limited the Cowboys to just six points in the victory. Rookie linebacker A.J. Tarpley had a couple of big plays on the defensive side by forcing a fumble that led to Gillislee’s touchdown and also by picking-off Dallas quarterback Kellen Moore.
The rushing offense may not be enough against the Jets, though. New York is second only to Denver when it comes to rushing defense in the league, allowing just 81.5 yards per game. Furthermore, the Jets have allowed just two rushing scores all season long, the least in the NFL. If the Bills are to escape with a win and ultimately upend New York’s playoff chances, then they’ll need to utilize quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s arm and wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ playmaking ability.
Since Week 12, Taylor and Watkins have formed a formidable duo in the passing game, connecting 24 times for 543 yards and six touchdowns. Watkins will be hard-pressed to make up for a less-than-stellar effort against the Jets in Week 10, catching just three passes for just 14 yards. While the Jets have a heralded secondary led by Darrelle Revis, they’ve actually been quite mediocre in passing defense this season. The Jets are allowing 238.7 yards passing per game (18th in the league) along with 25 touchdowns through the air.
The Bills are 4-0 SU/ATS in their last four games against the Jets.
Writer’s Prediction
The Jets prove to be difficult to stop as they roll into the playoffs with a tight victory against Buffalo. Create a betting account now and get in on al the betting action from the final week of the 2015-16 NFL Regular Season.
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