The Patriots will travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York to take on the division rival Bills. New England is first in the AFC East and off to a 6-1 start on the season; their only loss coming from these Buffalo Bills. The Bills had been on a roll for several weeks, but last week’s loss to the lowly Dolphins has helped derail the hype train. Buffalo will try to bounce back and sweep the season series with the Patriots for the first time this century. The game will kick off at 1:00 PM. ET.
Last week against the Steelers, Brady had himself another fine performance. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Brady has not thrown an interception since returning from his suspension. In fact, the Patriots as a team have not turned the ball over via the interception all season. This week against the Bills, Brady will look to continue that trend.
Blount has already set a new career high in rushing touchdowns with 8 this season.
On Sunday the Bills will try to do the impossible: beat Brady and the Patriots twice in one season. Since losing to the Bills 16-0 earlier in the season a lot has changed for New England. For starters, Brady is back. He did not play in the first meeting nor did Gronkowski.
The Patriots will have both this time around, and that’s a game changer.
One player that won’t be present is Bills’ star running back LeSean McCoy. In their first meeting, McCoy was a matchup nightmare. He was a persistent threat rushing the ball, but inflicted the worst damage in the passing game. McCoy scored the game’s only touchdown, as a visibly distraught Bill Belichick tossed his tablet in disgust. McCoy is listed as doubtful on the bills’ injury report. If McCoy doesn’t play, then the Bills’ will need to replace his production. Last week against Miami, McCoy was limited by this injury and the offense wasn’t able to compensate for the loss. Buffalo may need to rely more on their passing game early to create rushing opportunities later in the game.
Last week against Miami, the Bills’ run defense was riddled with holes. Buffalo’s defense will play better this week because their performance was so inept that it’s not possible to imagine that lack of effort repeating itself. The Bills’ missed tackles and blew assignments all afternoon. They allowed Miami to rush for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Miami averaged 6.2 yards per rush. It doesn’t get much worse than that effort wise. The Bills won’t allow the Patriots to embarrass them rushing the ball to that degree, but New England will certainly test Buffalo’s defensive resolve. Expect Blount to continue his already impressive season.
Bills Vs Patriots Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Patriots favored to win the game by 5.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 47. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
For all the hype surrounding this game, Rex Ryan has been relatively quiet. Perhaps he realizes what a rare opportunity he has before him; the chance to beat the Patriots twice in a single year. But, this isn’t the same Patriots team from early in the season. This Patriots team has an offensive identity when Brady’s under center and Gronkowski is catching passes 20 yards down field. Expect a hard-fought game by the Bills, but in the end, the Patriots offense will do what they couldn’t do the first go around, and that is score points. Pick the Patriots to easily cover the spread.
Play: Patriots -5.5 @ BetOnline.ag
2016 Week 8 Betting Pick • Buffalo Bills • New England Patriots • NFL Week 8 Betting Odds