NFL Week 5 Picks: Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions

Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
Sunday, 10/5/14, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Detroit -7
Current Betting Line: Detroit -7
Opening Total: 44
Current Total: 43.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Detroit Lions are holding opponents to just 267.3 yards per game this season

Buffalo has lost and failed to cover the spread in its last two games, which is why head coach Doug Marrone has decided to go with Kyle Orton over 2013 first-round pick EJ Manuel under center for this affair. The Bills simply haven’t seen any development from the former Florida State Seminoles star, which is important to consider when making your Week 5 NFL betting picks, as he completed just 47.7 percent of his passes in last week’s 23-17 setback to the Houston Texans as three-point road underdogs. Buffalo is 5-10 SU and 7-8 ATS as underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Bills rank 27th in the league in averaging 320.8 yards per game, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NFL betting lines, but that number should be better given the weapons the team possesses. Buffalo has some big-time playmakers in running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, while it selected explosive wide receiver Sammy Watkins with its first pick of the 2014 draft.

Detroit is 3-1 SUATS through its first four games of the 2014 campaign, as it prepares to face off with former head coach Jim Schwartz, who is in his first year as the Bills defensive coordinator. The Lions have one of the top offensive duos in the league, but quarterback Matthew Stafford has found it difficult to connect with his star wide receiver recently, as Calvin Johnson continues to be bothered by an ankle injury. He was held to just two catches and 12 yards in last week’s 24-17 victory over the New York Jets as two-point road underdogs. Detroit is 5-7 SU and 4-8 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Lions may be sputtering a bit offensively, but that doesn’t mean they can’t cover this number, considering the stop unit is allowing a league-low 267.3 yards per game. Detroit has really stepped up its play in defending the pass, which has caused a remarkable improvement in its statistical numbers after finishing in the middle of the back in total defense in 2013.