NFL lines, Week 16: 5 best bets

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BUFFALO, NY – DECEMBER 17: LeSean McCoy No. 25 of the Buffalo Bills walks out onto the field through the tunnel before the start of NFL game action against the Miami Dolphins at New Era Field on December 17, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Buffalo Bills (+12.5) at New England Patriots

Why am I doing this to myself? Either way, I’m going to get burned. I’m usually a fan of the Buffalo Bills getting a bunch of points, as well as the New England Patriots laying a bunch of points to a team they historically own. For the sake of the Bills making the playoffs this millennium, I’m taking them getting 12.5 points versus the Evil Empire.

Buffalo is 8-6 and could get in as a wild card team. The Bills have two more division road games: at New England and at the Miami Dolphins. I mean, they can do this, right? Miami got shut out by the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year by 40 points. Then they beat the Patriots at home only a few weeks ago. Anything could happen.

For Buffalo, this is the Bills’ Super Bowl. While they are really good at losing Super Bowls, I think they keep this within 10 points. Buffalo has won games in snow, games in domes and even had to deal with that Nathan Peterman nonsense. This is a different era of Bills football under head coach Sean McDermott. They’ll have their shot to cover against a Patriots team that could overlook them.

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Nothing would make Buffalo happier than to beat New England and then Miami to get to 10-6 and make the AFC playoffs. Western New York will have a shortage of folding tables until at least the middle of January. Let’s see Bills Mafia do this thing. Just need LeSean McCoy to rush for 150 yards for that to happen. No big thang.