NFL Writer Predicts Outcome Of Patriots-Bills Primetime Game

Gregg Rosenthal believes the Patriots’ win streak will be halted at six Monday night at Highmark Stadium.

New England and Buffalo are set to meet for the first time this season. While the Patriots arguably are the hottest team in all of football, Rosenthal believes the Bills, who were within one win of Super Bowl LV, will be more prepared for this high-stakes tilt.

“This is such a fascinating matchup,” Rosenthal wrote for NFL.com. “The Bills embody so many of the league-wide trends from the last few years, while the Patriots embody so much of the counter measures taken by coaches to go heavy while their opponents go light, zigging while the rest of the league zags.

“I believe that big-game experience matters. These Bills — namely their secondary and defense overall — have been in so many marquee matchups since Sean McDermott arrived. The Patriots’ offense is powerful, improving and finding its way. But the unit hasn’t played together long, and Mac Jones hasn’t been tested liked this. I expect Buffalo and New England to split their two games over the next month. The most likely way for that to happen is for each home team to win and for Bill Belichick to make his adjustments in the rematch. Look for Josh Allen’s running to make the difference this time.”

Rosenthal is predicting a final score of 20-17. This would result in a push for bettors who take action through DraftKings Sportsbook, where the Bills are a 3-point favorite.