The National Football League is back! The 2022 preseason began last week with the Hall of Fame game, but this weekend is the official first week of preseason football. This week on the NFL schedule, the Indianapolis Colts head to Buffalo to battle the Bills.
The kickoff for this NFL Week 1 preseason matchup is scheduled for 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, August 13th, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
Bills vs. Colts Betting Stats
Bills Stats
The NFL odds have the Buffalo Bills close to the top of their favorite picks to win the Super Bowl this season. They have every reason to be at the top due to their place in the NFL standings at the end of last season.
In 2021, the Bills finished with an 11-6 regular season record and won the AFC East division. Unfortunately, they were knocked out of the NFL playoffs after a devastating six-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional playoff round.
Bills Roster
Buffalo Bills will use this preseason to solidify the depth on their roster. Most likely backup quarterback Case Keenum will get the start or play the majority of the contest.
He is an NFL veteran and has served as a league starter. He will be a great voice to have to start the 2022 campaign.
They will also want to see what their second-round draft pick, running back James Cook out of Georgia, has in the tank.
They drafted him high because they saw potential. Cook will get plenty of opportunities to succeed in a crowded running back room in Buffalo.
Colts Stats
The Indianapolis Colts had a disappointing end to their 2021 season. They lost their last two games and fell just outside of a playoff position with a 9-8 record.
This season, they have a new starting quarterback and a new outlook to help propel them to the postseason. Head Coach Frank Reich has stated that the starters will play about a quarter in their preseason opener.
2022 NFL Stats
The newly signed Matt Ryan will look to be near the top of the 2022 NFL stats for quarterbacks this season. After getting acquired from the Atlanta Falcons, Ryan is playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Indianapolis would love to see how their new draft picks handle an NFL atmosphere this weekend as well. Their second-round draft pick out of Cincinnati, wide receiver Alec Pierce will try and solidify his position in the receiving game for the Colts. Look for him to be a major factor in this Week 1 preseason contest.
Bills vs. Colts Betting Trends
- The under hit in the Colts’ last five NFL games
- The Bills are 3-0-1 in their last four games as the favorite
- Indianapolis is 5-0 in their last five games as a road underdog
- Buffalo went 6-3 at home last season
Bills vs. Colts Betting Picks and Predictions
All in all, the NFL preseason is the hardest to predict. The rosters are constantly moving around during the game. Second string, third string, and practice players all participate in the game in a larger capacity during the preseason.
In this contest, the spreads are pretty close. The point spread has Buffalo as the -1 favorite with -110 odds while Indianapolis is +1 with -110 odds.
The moneyline has the Bills at -120 odds while the Colts have +100 odds. The over/under has a total threshold of 34 points. The over odds are -115, while the under odds are -105.
Two Postseasons
This should be a fairly close affair as these two postseason hopefuls will be looking deep into their rosters to start their preseason. The winning team will ultimately come down to who has the deeper roster and depth chart.
Overall, Indianapolis looks to have the deeper roster currently. While Buffalo has the upper hand with their starters, it is hard to see their first-string stars play more than one series or the first quarter of Saturday’s matchup.
NFL Betting Trends
According to the Bills vs. Colts betting trends, fans should pick the Indianapolis Colts on the moneyline to win Saturday’s contest at +100 odds for one of their NFL picks this Week 1 of the preseason.
When looking at the preseason in a betting manner, you must look at the team’s total roster makeup. The starters, unfortunately, play sparingly, and it is a time for many of the backups to attempt to make a name for themselves and make a regular-season roster.
Who to Bet On?
In this matchup, the Colts have a Super Bowl winning quarterback as their backup in Nick Foles and a third-string quarterback with some NFL regular season experience in Sam Ehlinger.
Experience in this game is crucial to a team’s success, and that is what Indianapolis has at the moment.
NFL Pick: Colts (+100)
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