Bills vs. Chargers Spread Prediction
Rookie quarterback Josh Allen will make his NFL starting debut on Sunday when the Buffalo Bills host the Los Angeles Chargers at 1:00 p.m. ET. Will the Bills at least cover the spread in their home opener?
Game Snapshot
267 Los Angeles Chargers at 268 Buffalo Bills
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 16
New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Chargers are 7.5-point favorites to beat the Bills. The total, meanwhile, sits at 42.5 points. As of this writing, 69% of the public betting tickets are on the Chargers to cover the point spread.
Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers DE Joey Bosa (foot) was spotted in a cast Friday. It’s not a surprise after coach Anthony Lynn said he expects Bosa to miss a “couple weeks.” Bosa met with Dr. Robert Anderson for a second opinion Wednesday, so this could be a precautionary move to avoid further setbacks. The Chargers have been starting Isaac Rochell in Bosa’s place.
Buffalo Bills
WKBW’s Joe Buscaglia expects CB Vontae Davis to be active this week.The Bills made Davis a healthy Week 1 scratch after he was shredded in the preseason. With nickel CB Taron Johnson (shoulder) sidelined, they should turn back to him on the outside, with Phillip Gaines moving to the slot in sub-packages. Buffalo is hoping to get some return from Davis after giving him $3.5 million guaranteed. The Bills secondary was lit up for for three touchdowns by Joe Flacco in their season-opening loss.
NFL Betting Trends
Los Angeles
The Chargers are 0-4-1 against the spread in their last five games played in the month of September and are 1-4 against the number in their last five games versus AFC opponents.
Buffalo
The Bills are 5-2-1 against the spread in their last eight home games.
Prediction
It makes me uneasy to say this based on their performance a week ago in Baltimore and the fact that they’ll be starting a rookie quarterback but I see value in the Bills today. The Chargers are flying cross-country and are extremely banged-up (they’re down Bosa, corner Jason Verrett and tight end Hunter Henry, the latter two are out for the season). This spread is an overreaction to how the Bills played in Week 1 and while Buffalo should be vying for the top overall pick in next April’s draft, that doesn’t mean it makes sense to lay over a touchdown on a road favorite in just the second week of the season. That’s extreme.
NFL Week 2 Prediction: Buffalo Bills +7.5