Both the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills are expected to be atop the NFL standings 2022, and the two will meet at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
Denver adding Russell Wilson makes them Super Bowl contenders, though they are in what’s expected to be the most contentious division this season.
Broncos Strong Defense
They have a strong defense, an improving receiving corps, and a solid line that bodes well for their futures.
The Bills, however, are the Super Bowl favorites and have been throughout the offseason. Josh Allen is a star quarterback because of what he can do with his legs and arm.
Buffalo also returns a very strong defense and great skill levels on offense. To what extent we see the starters remains to be seen.
Broncos vs. Bills Odds Breakdown
NFL odds show the Bills are favored by five points with an over/under of 41.5 points. The Broncos opened as one-point favorites, however.
The moneyline sways to the Bills at -200 versus the Broncos at +170. It opened at -102 and -112, respectively.
A Star Quarterback
Perhaps the reasoning is Wilson, a star QB, will not play in the opener for the Broncos. That leaves Josh Johnson and Brett Rypien to take the snaps.
While preseason is difficult for NFL picks against the spread, it does offer a glimpse into two contenders.
Broncos vs. Bills Betting Preview
Through one preseason game, the Broncos are 1-0-0 against the spread and 0-1-0 on over/under. The Bills are 1-0-0 against the spread and on over/under. Both of those games were at home, too.
History shows the Bills dominate the series, going 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings in Buffalo and 7-0 in the last seven meetings regardless of location. That being said,
regardless of location.
Denver Broncos
First-year Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett and his staff are still establishing their offense. The Broncos had 324 yards of total offense, but only 39 of those were on the ground, averaging 1.8 yards per carry.
Also, all 17 of their points were scored in the second quarter, when Johnson was at quarterback. A 1-yard touchdown pass to Seth Williams and a 24-yard pass to Kendall Hinton were their lone touchdowns.
Broncos Defense
Defensively they allowed 316 yards to the Cowboys in that 17-7 victory. Dallas ran for 141 yards – 5 yards per carry – in the loss.
Limiting Dallas QBs to a 68.6 QB rating was a win for the Denver defense, which is the stronger of the two units till Wilson was acquired for Drew Lock in the offseason.
Buffalo Bills Preview
Similarly, the Bills struggled to run the ball. They averaged 3.4 yards per carry for a total of 65 yards. Still, they threw for 304 yards – a total of 369 – and had a 69% completion percentage.
They beat the Colts 27-24 with the lone offensive scores in the fourth quarter. Both were Raheem Blackshear touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards.
Terrel Bernard had a 69-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Bills Against Matt Ryan
Their unit held the Colts to 288 yards of offense while veteran QB Matt Ryan was trying to build continuity as an addition to the Indianapolis offense.
The Bills limited the Colts to 3.9 yards per carry and 4.6 yards per play, though quarterbacks had a 93 QB rating.
Broncos vs. Bills Pick and Prediction
NFL predictions are often hard to come by, and, unfortunately, Bills vs. Broncos Score Predictions aren’t readily available this early in the week. They often wait for injury reports to come out.
Moreover, the preseason is tough to predict because of snap counts, not knowing which starters will play – typically, veterans like to sit out if they feel ready or to save on snaps due to the physical nature of games.
Also, with regular roster cuts throughout the preseason, some of those players on the fringe of making the roster get their opportunities to prove themselves.
Who to Bet On?
Both defenses have been strong through their first games, and there’s no reason to assume they won’t. That should make for a low-scoring game, especially with Wilson expected to sit out. That is a reason for the change in point spread.
Final Score Prediction: Bills 27, Broncos 17
Pick: Bills -4.5 -(-110)
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