After a third consecutive loss this past Sunday, the Patriots now return home this weekend, where the tests only get tougher.
New England welcomes the 4-2 Buffalo Bills to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium for a Week 7 matchup this coming Sunday.
Here are the odds, according to our exclusive wagering partners at FanDuel Sportsbook:
Odds – Patriots vs. Bills
Spread: Bills -8.5
Moneyline: Bills -450/Patriots +350
Total: O/U 40.5
Storylines
Ever since Tom Brady decided to depart the Patriots franchise in March of 2020, the Bills have owned the AFC East. Three straight division titles, an AFC Championship Game appearance, and, of course, perennial MVP candidate Josh Allen are what have the Buffalo area yearning for their first Super Bowl championship.
“Offense is a lot of the same guys,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of the Bills offense on Sunday. “[James] Cook’s kind of emerged for them, but obviously Gabe [Davis], Stefon [Diggs], [Josh] Allen, those guys are all tough.”
Tough is quite the understatement for a team that’s defeated New England in six of their last seven matchups by an average of almost 17 points per. They’ve struggled to contain the Bills’ poignant offense, and haven’t done nearly enough against their defense to mitigate it.
“I mean they do a great job up front creating turnovers and sacks and all that stuff,” Patriots quarterback Mac Jones said of the Bills’ defensive unit. “A very sound defense. I’ve obviously played against them a lot, but they’re very good. They work well together. They’ve played a lot of football together. Definitely one of the most sound defenses in the NFL, for sure. They create great turnovers. Obviously, they do it all of the time, so you see it all over tape. Up front is really where it starts. Definitely an impressive defense.”
Predictions and Picks
Just as I said last week, I can’t back the Patriots on the betting market until I see a convincing win again with my own eyes. With Buffalo in town, of course, that challenge is even tougher.
New England has struggled to defend Josh Allen, a player who, since 2020. has a 5-1 record, a 99.2 passer rating, and 13 touchdown passes against them. I see another top-tier Bills offensive performance coming this Sunday against this struggling Patriots team. Take Buffalo and the points.
Score: Bills 31 – Patriots 10
Side: Bills -8.5
Total: UNDER 40.5
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