Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Sunday, November 14, 2010, 1:00 pm EDT, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Bills -3
Current Line: Bills -2.5
Opening Total: 42.5
Current Total: 44
Money Line: Bills -140 / Lions +120
Few would think a game pitting two teams who have combined for two wins in 16 games between them so far this season could be intriguing or exciting, but Sunday’s matchup between the winless Buffalo Bills (0-8) and the up-and-coming Detroit Lions (2-6) looks to be both. The favored Bills (-3) are still searching for their first win despite being competitive enough to go 2-0-1 against the spread in their last three games while the Lions will be trying to avoid breaking their own record for the longest road losing streak in NFL history at 24 straight defeats.
Buffalo obviously still has a shot to join Detroit as the only 0-16 teams in league history, but each of the team’s last three losses have been decided by just a field goal. Two of those setbacks came in overtime on the road while last week’s 22-19 “home” loss to Chicago was in Toronto. The Bills are hoping a return to their real home at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park for the first time since October 10 will spark the team and result in their first victory of the season.
Meanwhile, the Lions will be looking to dodge a 25-game road losing streak and have covered three of their four losses away from home this season. In fact, they are a remarkable 7-1 ATS this year, with their only loss decided by more than eight points being the only game they failed to cover (24-10 at Minnesota in Week 3). Detroit has also been one of the highest-scoring teams in the NFL, with the total going OVER in each of their last five games. The Lions are averaging 25.4 points per game, which is good enough for second-best in the NFC behind the Giants (27 ppg).
The problem for Detroit has been closing out games, although that has hardly been all the fault of the players. In Week 1, everybody remembers Calvin Johnson’s apparent game-winning touchdown catch on the road against the Bears that would have ended the skid already. But the referees ruled it was not a catch, and losses at Minnesota, Green Bay and New York followed.
The team’s most recent setback came last week at home to the Jets in overtime, 23-20. Injuries to kicker Jason Hanson and quarterback Matthew Stafford – who suffered what could be a season-ending shoulder injury in his second game back after initially getting hurt at Chicago – played key roles in the Lions blowing a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Shaun Hill is expected to replace Stafford again after recovering himself from a broken arm that happened a month ago.
The Lions have beaten Buffalo three straight years in the preseason, including a 28-23 win on September 2. They have covered all three of those games, with the UNDER going 8-2 in the last 10 meetings, eight of which were exhibition games. The teams have split the last two regular-season meetings straight-up with Detroit going 2-0 ATS.
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