Bills at Panthers: Preview, prediction, odds and pick
By John Buhler
The Carolina Panthers will host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon in Week 2. Here is a game preview, a prediction, the betting odds and a final pick.
Week 2 of the 2017 NFL season is upon us. One of the games that will be taking place in the early afternoon on Sunday will be between the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on September 17 will be at 1:00 p.m. ET. CBS will have the telecast.
Both teams are coming off convincing Week 1 wins. Buffalo handled the New York Jets back in Orchard Park to begin the year at 1-0. Carolina would dominate the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara late Sunday afternoon. Whichever team wins in Charlotte has to feel good about itself at 2-0. Will it be the Bills or the Panthers?
According to SportsBook Review, Carolina is laying seven points at home to Buffalo. The associated moneylines for this game have the Panthers at -320 and the Bills at +260. When it comes to the over/under, that combined point total comes in at 42.5 points.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Carolina -7
Moneylines: Carolina -320, Buffalo +260
Over/Under: 42.5
Look for this game to be won in the trenches. Whichever team can dictate pace with a solid ground game will come out of these Week 2 matchup victorious. Buffalo and Carolina have the ability to get it in the end zone on the ground, so this will be a closer one-score game than the point spread would indicate.
With that in mind, the Bills will cover the seven-point spread. Beating the Jets by only nine at home isn’t a big deal, but it’s not like Carolina had to deal with a great team in San Francisco last week either.
This game features two mobile quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Tyrod Taylor. It also features a mentor versus protegé matchup in the coaching department. Bills head coach Sean McDermott was Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator for the last several years in Carolina. No doubt he’ll be ready to give his former employer all he’s got on Sunday.
Carolina is the better team, but will play down to the Bills at times in this game. It will be too close for comfort at halftime for the Panthers. Maybe the Bills lead for all we know heading into the second half?
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The Panthers will lean on its defense in the fourth quarter, forcing a turnover early in the final frame and stopping Taylor on his quest for a game-winning drive late. Carolina wins, but Buffalo covers.
Prediction: Panthers 24, Bills 20