The New England Patriots are undefeated since Tom Brady returned from his suspension – and they would be undefeated overall if it were not for those meddling Buffalo Bills. The Pats and Brady will have a chance to get back at the Bills on Sunday, October 30th at Ralph Wilson Stadium. These are the odds for fans who bet on NFL:
Patriots -6½ (-115) 47½ (-105)
Bills +6½ (-105) 47½ (-115)
The Patriots (5-1) won their third straight game with Tom Brady under center last Sunday, a 27-16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers – who were without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger. Brady went 19 of 26 for 222 yards and two TDs, including a 36-yard scoring pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski in the third quarter. Another 37-yard catch and run by the Gronk set up running back LeGarrette Blount’s second touchdown run that put the Pats ahead by 11 with a little under 12 minutes left to play. Blount ran for 127 yards on 24 carries with two TDs. Blount was cut by the Steelers when he walked off the gridiron with the clock still running in November 2014, so the Pats are already in a revenge-getting mood.
The Bills (4-3) saw a four-game winning streak come to an end against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Buffalo QB finished 14 of 28 for 221 yards and one TD pass to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin for a 67-yard score that put the Bills ahead 17-6 halfway through the third quarter. Miami, however, replied with a 75-yard drive for their first touchdown, and scored 22 points in the final 15:18 of regulation. The Bills’ inability to live up to betting sportsbook odds and finish off the Dolphins means that they are now in a must-win situation against the Patriots if they want to remain a viable option to win the AFC East division.
As people who bet on NFL will undoubtedly remember, the Bills shutout the Pats 16-0 in week 4. They will also remember that that was the last game of Tom Brady’s four-game suspension. A lot has changed since then. The Patriots have outscored opponents 95-46 in the past three games. Moreover, New England remains the only team in the league yet to throw an interception. The defense is also in tip-top shape, having recovered defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who missed the first encounter against the Bills. Ninkovich should be able to help out the clamps on Tyrod Taylor.
On the other hand, Buffalo might be without running back LeSean McCoy. McCoy had an off day against the Dolphins, running for only 11 yards on eight carries before leaving the field due to a recent hamstring injury. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, McCoy will be “probably questionable” for this coming Sunday. All things considered, people who bet on NFL should see the Bills beating a Brady-less Pats in week 4 like a bunch of bullies picking on a little kid. Now that the little kid’s big brother is back, there’ll be hell to pay.