Bills fans have spent the week booking flights to Las Vegas, and most of the national analysts picking Week 6 are on the same side. Buffalo is coming off an overtime win over the Rams and stayed in Southern California to practice at UC Irvine before Sunday’s game at Allegiant Stadium.
FanDuel has Buffalo favored by 5.5 points with the over/under at 53.5. The Raiders are 3-2 but just lost 45-17 in New England, and it’s the second straight week they’ve allowed 30-plus points. Here’s where the experts landed.
Sports Illustrated lays the points
Bills -5.5
Iain MacMillan, who handles betting previews for SI, isn’t sold on the Raiders as a contender yet. “The Raiders’ offense won’t be able to keep pace with Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense,” MacMillan wrote in his preview.
He also liked the number itself. “I’m happy to lay the points with the spread set below the magic number of seven,” he wrote. Buffalo has won four of five games and leads the NFL at 32.8 points per game.
Covers sees a defense in trouble
Bills -4.5, over 53.5
Neil Parker of Covers grabbed Buffalo when the line sat at 4.5 and wrote that he’d still back the Bills up to 5.5. He took the over, too. “A reeling Raiders defense going against Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is trouble,” Parker wrote for Covers.
Allen ran for 121 yards against the Rams and was among our winners for the game. His 91.9 rushing grade ranks first among 27 quarterbacks, according to his PFF page.
Bleacher Report goes 6-1 for Buffalo
Bills (six of seven experts)
“Despite concerns about its receiving corps, Buffalo’s potent offense should prevent the Raiders from pulling off an upset,” Gary Davenport wrote this week. That receiving concern is real, with DJ Moore questionable with a shoulder injury.
Moe Moton was the lone vote for Las Vegas. “The Raiders should look much better at home against a poor defense to keep this game within a touchdown,” Moton wrote. Buffalo ranks 31st against the pass, so the case for a close game isn’t hard to make.
FanSided splits the difference
Bills to win, Raiders +5.5
Cody Williams expects a shootout that “could likely be decided by a field goal.” He still has Buffalo winning. “I think Buffalo still has the offensive firepower against a middling defense to get the win in this game,” Williams wrote for FanSided.
Brock Bowers is the player who could make the Raiders’ cover look smart. He has 24 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns in three games since returning, and Buffalo’s coaches know it. “Brock Bowers is a problem,” defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said this week. “He’s one of the premier players in the NFL.”
Nobody here expects the Raiders to stop Allen. The split is whether a defense allowing 28.2 points per game lets Bowers and Kirk Cousins make it a one-score finish.
More on the Buffalo Bills
- 3 Reasons the Bills Will Beat the Raiders, and 2 Reasons They Won’t
- Josh Allen vs. Raiders Week 6: Four Expectations for Bills QB
- Announcers, Referees and Jersey Combination for Bills Week 6 Game
- Here’s What Should Scare the Buffalo Bills About the Las Vegas Raiders
