For the second week in a row, the Buffalo Bills are the biggest favorite in the league heading into the weekend. After failing to cover against the Giants (and nearly losing) they are again more than a touchdown favorite this week when they go on the road to play the New England Patriots.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The game will be televised on CBS.
Advertisement
The big question in this game is which version of the Bills will show up, specifically which version of quarterback Josh Allen. They have played six games this season. In three of them, they have looked like a top Super Bowl contender and one of the best teams in the NFL. In the other three, they have suffered through slow starts offensively, not protected the football, and either lost (New York Jets and Jacksonville) or barely escaped with the ugliest possible win (New York Giants). The Bills certainly have the potential and talent to put everything together and put forth a dominant effort. It just has not happened consistently yet this season.
What has been consistent has been the performance of the Patriots. It has just been bad every single week. This is not only the worst Patriots team of the Bill Belichick era. There is a strong argument to be made that this is currently the worst team in football and is only getting worse. Dallas and New Orleans have blown them out; they lost Sunday’s game to a team playing a backup quarterback for half of the game and rank near the bottom of the league in every major category, offensively and defensively.
Not only has quarterback Mac Jones steadily regressed from his rookie season, but the offensive line in front of him is a mess. They lack impact skill position players and the defense is without two key starters in pass rusher Matthew Judon and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
This is only the 16th time since 2003 that the Patriots have been a home underdog. They are 7-8 against the spread in the previous 15 games, but are only 3-7 in such games in the post-Tom Brady era. That includes a 1-6 record in the Mac Jones era.
All odds from BetMGM. Looking for NFL tickets? Buy them here.
What are the odds for Bills vs. Patriots?
Storylines for Bills vs. Patriots
New England Patriots at the trade deadline: 7 deals that would make sense
Advertisement
How Josh Allen’s first-half miscues vs. Giants bogged down Bills’ offense
Expert picks for Bills vs. Patriots
(Photo of Josh Allen and Sean McDermott: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3JuamtlZXxzfJFsZmpoX2d%2FcK7IpaOsZaaoerGt06ugqKyjYrmqusRmpp2co2K9s7HDopqtoZ%2BjwHA%3D