NFL Odds: Patriots Favored Vs. Bills Despite Uncertainty at Quarterback In Week 4
The New England Patriots can improve to 4-0 for the fifth time since 2004 with a victory Sunday as they host division-rival Buffalo Bills as 6-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
New England is coming off a spectacular defensive performance in a 27-0 win over Houston as 1-point chalk last week but saw quarterback Jacoby Brissett go down with a hand injury, creating uncertainty as to who will start under center in Sunday afternoon’s Bills vs. Patriots betting matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Brissett started after a shoulder injury felled Jimmy Garoppolo in New England’s 31-24 straight-up victory over Miami two weeks ago. Both Garoppolo and Brissett have seen limited action at practice this week and have not yet been cleared for Sunday.
While the Patriots quarterback situation remains unresolved, at least until Tom Brady’s return from suspension in Week 5, it has yet to adversely impact their fortunes on the gridiron.
New England has regularly rewarded bettors this season, picking up against-the-spread wins in each of its three contests including a stunning 23-21 Week 1 win at Arizona as huge 9.5-point underdogs.
The Patriots’ ground game has made a significant contribution in the early going, accounting for five major scores through Week 3 and leading the NFL with 150.7 rushing yards per game.
The defense also came through as the star of last week’s outing, preventing the Texans from moving the ball across the 50-yard line until the dying moments of the third quarter in the club’s first shutout win since December 2012.
A repeat performance would come in handy against Buffalo, which notched its first straight-up win of the season last weekend, shocking the Cardinals with a 33-18 upset victory in the desert as a 4.5-point underdog.
While last weekend’s victory revealed glimpses of the vaunted offense many fans expected of the Bills this season, Buffalo has struggled mightily on the road since last season, posting six straight SU losses away from New Era Field while going 0-5-1 ATS.
The picture is even gloomier in head-to-head matchups with New England, who has taken a stunning 27 of its last 30 games straight up from the Bills, including 14 of its past 15 in Foxborough, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
