The Buffalo Bills are in the Motor City Friday night for their preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. ET at Ford Field. Below, we look at the Bills at Lions odds and lines, and make our best NFL picks, predictions and bets.
The Bills will take a more cautious approach to this game than the Lions. Buffalo is not expected to play the majority of its starters, including QB Josh Allen. Lions starters will play about a quarter, so this will be our first look at QB Jared Goff with his new team.
Buffalo is coming off a season in which it reached the AFC Championship Game, only to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen was a Pro Bowler and one of the best quarterbacks in football, getting rewarded with a massive extension this offseason.
The Lions are currently in a rebuild after trading away QB Matthew Stafford for Goff and draft picks. Expectations are low for Dan Campbell’s team in his first year as a head coach.
Bills at Lions odds, spread and lines
Odds via Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Bills +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Lions -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Bills +1.5 (-105) | Lions -1.5 (-115)
- Total: 36.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Bills at Lions odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Bills 17, Lions 14
Money line
The Bills aren’t going to play their primary starters, but it won’t just be backups on the field. Players who are battling for starting jobs could see some action, which will help Buffalo in this game.
Detroit is expected to be one of the worst teams in football and with this being Campbell’s first game, I’m not expecting a whole lot out of Goff and the Lions offense. Bet the BILLS (+100) at even money.
Against the spread
It’s hard to predict preseason games, especially the first preseason game of the year when most starters don’t play or stay on the field only for a brief time. The Bills have the better roster from top to bottom, with Detroit lacking talent even in its starting lineup.
Bet the BILLS +1.5 (-105) to cover the spread and even win outright on the road.
Over/Under
Preseason openers are typically low-scoring, with two of the first three games this year totaling 35 or fewer points. The Lions don’t have much in the way of an offense, and Buffalo’s backup quarterbacks leave a lot to be desired, led by QB Mitchell Trubisky.
Don’t expect many points to be put up on the board, especially with Buffalo’s defense looking strong on paper – even in the second unit. Bet the UNDER 36.5 (-110).
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