A big win over AFC power Indianapolis in the opener has Buffalo excited over its Bills. Is Rex Ryan’s gang for real? We’ll find out more when they host the defending champion Patriots. Ryan always saves his best for the Pats, taking five of his last six meetings with New England down to the wire, including both games last season when he was coaching the hapless Jets.
ODDS
New England opened as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 46. The Pats have struggled lately to cover the spread when facing AFC East foes, going just 1-5 ATS in their past six within the division. The line dropped to -1 with a total of 45.5.
KEY INJURIES
Ryan Wendell – New England’s veteran offensive lineman didn’t play in the opener and remains limited in practice.
Dominique Easley – Went down with a hip injury on New England’s first defensive series and didn’t return. He’s expected to miss a few weeks. Rookie Geneo Grissom led all defensive linemen with 32 snaps in his absence.
LeSean McCoy – Left practice this week with hamstring tightness. He suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and it lingered into the season, not completely healing. If McCoy can’t play, Karlos Williams is in line to take his place.
KEY MISMATCH
The Bills’ interior defensive line will be bolstered by the return of Marcell Dareus from suspension. Along with 10-year veteran Kyle Williams, they form a solid 1-2 combination. Bills coach Rex Ryan is known for his wide array of pressure packages and would certainly love to get in Brady’s face with just his front four. Dareus commands significant attention at the point of attack, clearing teammates to make plays and will be eager to return to action after serving his one-game suspension. Buffalo’s defensive formations could be problematic for New England’s O-line, which will be without anchor Bryan Stork. Wendell remains limited and signs point to the Pats relying on three rookie offensive linemen again. That means undrafted rookie center David Andrews, along with fourth-round draft picks Tre’ Jackson and Shaq Mason would be pressed into duty.
KEY STAT
+3 – Buffalo’s turnover margin. The Bills defense combined for two sacks and forced three turnovers, including two interceptions, last week against Indianapolis. The Pats didn’t turn the ball over in their opener and can’t afford to give Buffalo extra possessions.
BETTING ANGLE
Times are changing in Orchard Park under Rex Ryan, who is obsessed with conquering the AFC East bullies from Foxborough. The Bills made an emphatic statement in shutting down the Colts’ high-powered offense in a dominating 27-14 win that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. Ralph Wilson Stadium is always rocking when the Pats come to town, and with a bona fide playoff contender to cheer for, the Buffalo home crowd might present the most hostile environment New England faces all season. The Pats are a slight favorite to claim their 26th win in the last 29 games against the Bills, but it certainly won’t be easy.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Buffalo has perhaps its most talented team since the Super Bowl days of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith, and a convincing win over Indy last week has the hometown faithful lining up to buy playoff tickets. Though Tyrod Taylor looked good in his first NFL start, he’s still raw at the position and the Bills are putting plenty on his shoulders. Give the edge at the QB spot to New England with Tom Brady running the show. Brady and the Pats’ offense will be able to offset Buffalo’s defensive scheming using their short passing game with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman churning up yards. Taylor will make a critical mistake leading to a Pats victory.
New England 24, Buffalo 20
The NFL spread for this Sunday game was first available at BookMaker Sportsbook and the Patriots surfaced as 1.5-point chalk. The total opened at 46. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
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