Week 18 of the NFL continues with this divisional rivalry game in Buffalo on Sunday, January 8, and here you can take a look at the best Patriots vs. Bills betting pick and odds.
Buffalo is hoping for the seventh straight win when they host New England at Highmark Stadium. The Bills are -7.5 favorites on BetMGM NY Sportsbook, while the total is set at 42.5 points. These divisional foes have met once this year, and the Bills won 24-10 in Foxborough.
Patriots beat the Dolphins to stay alive in the playoff hunt
The New England Patriots (8-8-0, 7-8-1 ATS) avoided the third consecutive loss with a tight 23-21 home victory over the divisional rivals Miami Dolphins. Now, the Patriots need a win over the Bills to book their playoff ticket. Although the Dolphins were better when it comes to total yards and first downs, the Patriots did force a couple of turnovers and commit none on the other end to get a win. Kyle Dugger’s 39-yard pick-six late in the third quarter was crucial as New England took a 16-14 lead, and later Miami only managed to soften a defeat with a minute remaining in the tilt.
Mac Jones completed 20 of 33 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Tyquan Thornton, who led the Patriots in receiving yards with 60 on three catches, caught one of Jones’ TD passes, while Jakobi Meyers (six receptions for 48 yards) was on the receiving end of the other one. On the ground, Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris combined for 74 yards on 17 rushing attempts. Defensively, Ja’Whaun Bentley led the team with nine tackles.
WR Nelson Agholor (undisclosed), WR DeVante Parker (head), CB Jalen Mills (groin), CB Marcus Jones (concussion), and CB Jack Jones (knee) are questionable to face Buffalo on Sunday.
Bills’ game against the Bengals was postponed after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field
The Buffalo Bills (12-3-0, 7-7-1 ATS) were searching for their seventh consecutive win when they traveled to Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, but the game was postponed midway through the first quarter. Buffalo’s safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit on Cincy’s receiver Tee Higgins, but the medical staff managed to restore his heartbeat, and after receiving oxygen, Hamlin was transferred to the nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He is still in critical condition, and the NFL stated that the game will not resume this week. The date of the game is still unknown.
Alongside Hamlin, who is still in hospital, the Bills will be without T Tommy Doyle (ACL), WR Jamison Crowder (ankle), S Micah Hyde (neck), and LB Von Miller (knee) against the Patriots on Sunday.
Trends:
New England:
2-6 ATS in the last eight vs. AFC East rivals
1-5 ATS in the last six games overall
0-4 ATS in the last four games vs. a team with a winning record
Buffalo:
15-7-2 ATS in the last 24 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game
20-8 ATS in the last 28 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills Pick
Buffalo’s players will give their maximum to win this game for Damar Hamlin and stay in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while a potential victory would mean the Patriots are eliminated from the playoff picture. The Bills have the 5th best offense in the NFL which averages 26.3 points per game and the second-best defense which allows 17.5 ppg. Although the Pats do have a strong defense that surrenders 19.5 ppg, their offense is below average (21.3 ppg), and I don’t think they have what it takes to outscore the Bills in Buffalo.
Pick: Take the Bills at -6.5 (-120)
The Total
Bill Belichick knows that the only way to defeat Buffalo is to keep them to one or two touchdowns in a low-scoring affair. New England did display a rock-solid defense this year, but there are a lot of issues on the offensive end, so I expect the Bills to limit the visitors to below 17 points in this one. Under is 4-1 in the Patriots’ last five vs. AFC East rivals; Under is 9-4 in the Bills’ previous 13 games overall, while Under is 7-2 in Buffalo’s last nine vs. AFC opponents.
Pick: Go Under 44.5 points (-130)
