Week 12 NFL schedule brings another exciting week of NFL matchups, and this week’s Thursday night football matchup features the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions.
Both the Buffalo Bills (7-3) and the Detroit Lions (4-6) enter this matchup coming off of victories in NFL Week 11, with the Bills taking down the Browns 31-23, while the Lions beat the New York Giants 31-18.
Buffalo has been a bit shaky as they have lost two of their last three, even having to mount a comeback after being down 10-3 early in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions have been impressive with three straight victories with wins over Green Bay Packers, Chicago, and now New York.
NFL Standings
Each team will try to improve their record in the NFL standings for a playoff push. Who will win this interleague matchup?
Let’s take a closer look at the NFL odds and see who the best betting picks are for this matchup. The Bills vs Lions is going to be one of the most popular picks of the year, so let’s dive right in.
Matchup Information
Buffalo Bills Season Forecast
The Bills stats on paper are impressive. The offensive unit ranks second, averaging 417.4 yards per game, and they are also second in points averaging 28.1 per contest.
Bills’ Defense
Similarly, on the defensive side of the ball, the Bills NFL team stats are impressive, surrendering just 17.4 points and a league-leading 13 interceptions.
Despite this, the Bills don’t look in sync, as they have lost two of their last three games. Josh Allen has tried to do too much with six interceptions in his last four games, while the defense has allowed 23.3 points over their last three games.
Top Spot in the AFC East
Be that as it may, Buffalo is still primed to take over the top spot in the AFC East and potentially the top spot in the AFC playoffs.
Their combination of playmakers and talent on both sides of the ball make them a super bowl contender. A win here will continue to put them on pace to compete for the division title, but keep an eye on the NFL injury report in this matchup.
Moneyline
Opening Line
The line has opened with oddsmakers making Buffalo the road -460 favorite.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The line has slightly shifted as the Bills are -450 favorites as Buffalo had to come from behind to beat Cleveland last week.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Buffalo Bills fail to win their game against the Detroit Lions.
Spread Line
Opening Line
The opening line for this matchup has been listed at -10, with oddsmakers making the Bills road favorites. The Bills vs Lions spread is one of the larger spreads of the NFL season.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The line has stayed the same as Buffalo remains currently -10 favorites on the spread.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Bills fail to win by more than ten points.
Total
Opening Line
Oddsmakers have listed the Over/Under for this matchup at 51.5 (-110).
How the Line Has Moved and Why
With the line opening up at 51.5 points, the line has shifted to 52 points, with both teams going over their projected totals in Week 11.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if both teams fail to go over or under the listed total.
Buffalo Bills Betting Trend to Know
The Buffalo Bills enter this matchup 5-4-1 ATS. In their last four contests, the Bills have covered the spread just once.
In terms of the Over/Under, Buffalo has gone under the set total seven times out of their ten games. The Over has hit in their last two contests, but the Under has hit in six of their last eight contests.
Detroit Lions Season Forecast
The Detroit Lions schedule drew the New York Giants in Week 11, and the Lions were able to roar past the Giants in East Rutherford, pulling out a 31-18 upset victory.
Head Coach Dan Campbell has Detroit firing on all cylinders as the Lions collected their fourth overall win and third victory in a row.
The Lions controlled the game from the second quarter on and never relinquished the lead as Jamall Williams’ three rushing touchdowns paced the Detroit offense, according to NFL player stats.
Lions’ Defensive Side
On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions were able to scheme up a strong defensive plan as they bottled up New York’s top rusher Saquon Barkley for just 22 yards on 15 carries.
While they had trouble against Daniel Jones and the passing attack, the Lions’ defense was still able to hold the Giants to 18 points while forcing three turnovers.
The Lions have moved into second place in the NFC North division with their victory over the Giants.
The Lions have put themselves in a position to fight for a playoff spot down the road, even though they are still currently out of the playoff picture. They will look to grab a victory over the Bills, who have lost two of their last three games.
Moneyline
Opening Line
Oddsmakers have listed the Detroit Lions as +370 home underdogs to win this matchup.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
With an impressive 31-18 win over the Giants, the Lions have slightly shifted the odds to +360 road underdogs.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Detroit Lions fail to win their game against the Buffalo Bills.
Spread Line
Opening Line
The opening line for this matchup has the Detroit Lions listed as +10 underdogs despite playing at home. The Bills vs Lions spread is one of the biggest of the year.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The line for the spread has stayed the same in this matchup despite wins from both teams.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if the Lions fail to win outright or lose by more than ten points.
Total
Opening Line
The line opened with the total at 51.5 points (-110).
Oddsmakers have listed the Over/Under for this matchup at 51.5
How the Line Has Moved and Why
With the line opening up at 51.5 points, the line has shifted to 52 points, with both teams going over their projected totals in Week 11.
What Makes Lose the Bet
This bet loses if both teams fail to go over or under the listed total.
Detroit Lions Betting Trend to Know
The Lions have a record of 6-4 ATS, including covering the spread in their last three contests. Additionally, the Lions have covered as underdogs in each of their last three matchups.
In terms of the Over/Under, the Lions have gone over the total in seven of their ten games this season. The Over has also hit in three of the last four Detroit matchups.
Most Profitable Players of this Matchup to Bet On
Josh Allen
- Over Passing Yards
Josh Allen has gone over the passing yard prop total in just five of his ten games. However, he is facing a Lions defense that ranks 28th against the pass.
The Bills are playing for the division title, while the Lions have allowed at least 289 yards in three of their last four contests.
Stefon Diggs
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Stefon Diggs has eight touchdowns in his ten games played this year, and he also has a touchdown catch in four of his last six contests (67%).
The Lions allowed 341 yards in the air last week, and you can expect Diggs to find the endzone in Week 12.
Jamall Williams
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer
Jamall Williams has been on an absolute tear, with six touchdowns in his last four games.
He has seen the endzone in six of his ten games this year (60%), and the Lions are consistently feeding him the ball averaging 17 carries in his last eight contests.
Expect him to continue to get usage at the goal line. Player prop odds for this game were available at the time of this writing.
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