Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions preview, predictions, betting odds, live stream info
By Hayden Kane
Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions
Fred Jackson, Mario Williams, and the Buffalo Bills travel to Ford Field on Sunday to take on Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and the Detroit Lions in a week 5 showdown. The Bills enter this game with a 2-2 record, having lost two straight, while the Lions are 3-1 so far.
Details for Sunday’s game are below:
Date: Sunday, Oct. 5
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Detroit, MI
Stadium: Ford Field
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
Radio: NFL Audio Pass
Ticket Information: For Bills ticket info click here. For Lions ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
Kyle Orton will make his debut as a member of the Bills in this game. Second-year quarterback E.J. Manuel got the hook after an especially ugly showing in the team’s week 4 loss to the Texans. Whether or not Orton can bring that veteran savvy the Bills are hoping for will be a key question for a team that has a lot of talent around on their roster.
The health of Johnson looms as the big story for the Lions. Stafford and the Lions’ offense still put up big points last week despite the fact that their star wide receiver was clearly less than 100% and served as little more than a decoy. The Bills’ defense poses a tougher test, and it could be a start and stop day for the Lions if Johnson is still affected by that ankle injury.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Lions -7
Moneyline: Lions -330, Bills +275
O/U: 43.5
Prediction
This match-up does not set up well for the Bills. Their eventual hope might be that Orton will thrive in an offense with a strong running game where he doesn’t have to do too much. On most days, the Bills will just need Orton to minimize his mistakes and hit some key passes. That formula might not work against the Lions, however, as their defensive front has absolutely mauled opposing running games this season.
Stafford and the Lions’ offense won’t light things up like we are used to seeing, but Detroit will still win this game comfortably because Orton will be asked to do too much in his first start of the season.
Final Score: Lions 21, Bills 10