Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills Betting Preview
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills Betting Preview
The NFL playoffs will kick off with a Wild Card contest on Saturday between the Indianapolis Colts and the host Buffalo Bills.
The 13-3 Bills are like a tsunami heading to the beach as they roll into the playoffs. Winners of six straight and nine out of their last six games, the Bills averaged over 47 points in their last three games.
Quarterback Josh Allen is putting up big numbers, and the defense is stiffening after a tough start.
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It’s hard to believe that the Colts are the seventh seed after posting an 11-5 record. The AFC had all three Wild Card teams win 11 games, leaving 10-6 Miami on the outside looking in.
Meanwhile, 7-9 Washington is hosting a playoff game in the NFC. Go figure!
In previous seasons, the Bills and Colts would both be watching this weekend’s action on television. Instead, the league added a seventh team to each conference’s postseason, so Buffalo is hosting Indianapolis.
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Betting Lines and Odds
The Bills are seven-point favorites at home, and the over/under is set at 51.5 points. On the moneyline, Buffalo has odds of -300 while the Colts are at +250.
For the season, Buffalo is an impressive 11-5 against the spread and 10-5-1 on the over/under. Indianapolis is an even 8-8 against the spread and slightly better at 9-7 against the over/under.
Indianapolis Colts Preview
The Colts were 3-3 against playoff teams, including a win over the NFC’s top seed, Green Bay. Their defense was among the league leaders for the first half of the season but struggled down the stretch. Even with the defensive lapse, the Colts managed to win four of their last five games.
Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers made the move from Los Angeles and got the team to the playoffs. His 11 interceptions are a concern heading to the postseason, especially against a team that picked off 15 passes.
If the Colts can play defense the way they did early in the season and the last two games, they have a chance. Their rushing defense is stout, and it could force the Bills to be totally one-dimensional on offense. Buffalo is 20th in the league running the ball, so it isn’t a strength to begin with.
Buffalo Bills Preview
The Bills’ chances begin and end with the play of quarterback Josh Allen. In their three losses, Allen was held to an average of 231 yards a game, 58 below his average, and he tossed six interceptions.
His 289 yards a game and 40 touchdown passes were both third in the league.
Buffalo gave up over 23 points a game, 16th in the NFL, but scored the second-most points in the league. The Bills’ total offense was also second in the league, putting constant pressure on opposing defenses.
In consecutive losses to Tennessee and Kansas City, the Bills were held to less than 20 points. However, they were tough to contain in the second half of the season, scoring at least 30 points six times. They also held four of their last six opponents to under 20 points.
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Game Preview and Prediction
Buffalo is looking like a serious Super Bowl contender. Since losing to top-seeded Kansas City in Week 6, the Bills have been virtually unstoppable. They seem to be peaking at the right time behind the leadership of Allen.
The Colts are a good team but appear to be overmatched in this one. They will need to overachieve in a major way to stop Allen in the passing game. Their only chance is to catch a break and force some turnovers.
The Bills are on a serious roll.
Take Buffalo, give the points and bet on the over.
Buffalo 31, Indianapolis 21.
