The Buffalo Bills visit the New England Patriots on Sunday in a game that can be seen on CBS. Both teams are currently in playoff position but in the very competitive AFC, nothing is assured, so this game is critical. It is also a huge game in terms of the division, as the winner will have the inside track to the AFC East title. It is a must-win game for the Bills in terms of the division, as they come into this game at 8-6, while the Patriots are 9-5. The teams met earlier this month in Buffalo in difficult weather conditions and the Patriots ran the ball down the Bills throat, winning 14-10. Let’s look at this Week 16 game and NFL picks.
NFL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Buffalo Bills +2.5
New England Patriots -2.5
Total 43.5
Buffalo Bills
Bills come into this game at 8-6 SU and 7-6-1 ATS with seven games going over the total and seven going under. The Bills are averaging 28.1 points per game which is 4th-best in the league. They are giving up just 17.4 points per game and that is 3rd-best in the NFL. Devin Singletary leads the team in rushing with 633 yards, while Josh Allen has thrown for 3,734 yards. Stefon Diggs leads the team with 1,007 receiving yards. Mario Anderson leads the team with four sacks, while Jordan Poyer leads the team with five interceptions. The Bills would seem to be in a little better injury situation than the Patriots but Buffalo still does have a few players on the COVID list including wide receiver Cole Beasley.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are 9-5 SU and 9-5 ATS with six games going over the total and eight going under. They are just 3-4 at home this season. The Patriots are averaging 26.2 points per game this season which is 10th-best in the NFL. They are giving up just 16.2 points per game to lead the league. Damien Harris leads the team in rushing yards at 754, while Mac Jones has thrown for 3,168 yards. Kendrick Bourne is the leading receiver with 667 yards. Matt Judon leads the team in sacks with 12.5, while J.C. Jackson leads the team with seven interceptions.
The Patriots are always coy about their injuries, but there are a couple ones to keep an eye on for Sunday. Damien Harris is still dealing with a hamstring injury and is not at full strength and his backup, Rhamondre Stevenson has some sort of an illness that is said not to be COVID. The third-string running back, Brandon Bolden is also dealing with a knee injury.
Both teams know that what happened three weeks ago will not have a big impact on Sunday’s game. “I think the biggest mistake people can make is relaxing and not going through the preparation as if this is the first time we played them,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said to the media, “I try to get myself into a mind-set of, I don’t care what happened three weeks ago. I’m going back through and studying the players, I’m studying the scheme, I’m studying our game plan, and I’m going to try to make each decision based on what we feel this week, not three or four weeks ago.”
Week 16 NFL Picks
The Patriots have won 8 of the last 10 meetings in this series and they are 7-3 ATS with four games going over, five going under, with one push. As noted earlier, the teams met early this month and it was the Patriots winning 14-10 in Buffalo. The Bills are 3-7 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in their last ten at New England with five games going over, four going under, with one push.
Both teams expect Sunday’s game to be tight and there is no reason to think it won’t be a close game and that makes the points worth taking. I’ll go with Buffalo plus the points in this one.
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