Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-6), Total 40 |
Buffalo finished the 2011 preseason with a 1-3 SU and ATS record, capturing a 35-32 come-from-behind home victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars as its only victory in Week 3.
Great news for Bills’ backers is the team has covered four straight games in this series, including a 13-10 road loss as seven-point underdogs last year. The team is 4-1 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is entrenched as the team’s starter this year after passing for 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games a year ago. He’s a smart guy in the huddle with a Harvard education.
“I feel like I’m always going to have to go out and prove myself,” Fitzpatrick commented. “I’m never going to get the benefit of the doubt.”
The Bills will not have wide receiver Lee Evans on the outside, as he is now in Baltimore, but Steve Johnson stepped up in a big way during the 2010 season. He totaled 1,073 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago.
Buffalo possess a strong running back tandem of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, as the duo combined for 1,210 rushing yards a year ago. Big expectations are being placed on Spiller specifically, as he comes off a rookie campaign that didn’t live up to the billing after being selected in the first round out of Clemson.
NFL betting players will find that the Bills are 21-19 ATS versus AFC West opponents and the ‘over’ is 23-17 in those contests.
Kansas City enjoyed a turnaround season by finishing the 2010 campaign with a 10-6 record before falling in the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs won the AFC West division and earned a home playoff game for the first time since 2003.
Offensively, head coach Todd Haley has plenty of play makers in tow, but the rushing game is the main attraction. The Chiefs won the league’s rushing title, registering 2,627 yards. It was pure dominance on the ground when playing at Arrowhead Stadium, gaining 1,463 yards, which is the third-most in franchise history.
Three difference-makers are found on the other side of the ball, as safety Eric Berry, cornerback Brandon Flowers and linebacker Derrick Johnson paced the defense to an 11th place finish in total defense.
If you are Chiefs betting, they have dropped 28 of 41 games against the spread when playing AFC East competition and is 7-10 ATS at home the last two years.
