Indianapolis Colts (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Buffalo Bills (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
NFL Week 1
Date/Time: Sunday, September 13, 1:00pm
Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium Buffalo, NY
TV: CBS
by Bob, NFL Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: IND -3 / BUF +3
Over/Under Total: 46.5
Sunday, September 13th, we will have a great AFC game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills. The Colts are coming off an appearance in the AFC title game, while the Buffalo Bills believe they are finally heading in the right direction under new head coach, Rex Ryan. In my opinion, and I actually said this last season, the Indianapolis Colts are primed for yet another AFC title run under the leadership of Andrew Luck. They were humiliated by the Patriots last season in the title game, but they have now added a few weapons to their arsenal. The Bills, like mentioned earlier, now have Rex Ryan. The Buffalo defense was already pretty good, but now with a defensive guru like Ryan, I can see the Bills being one of the top in the league. I like this match-up for week one. It will tell us a lot about both teams.
Vegas has Indy as a three point road favorite, while the over under is set at 46.5 points. Road faves are always scary, but let us take a closer look at both teams and see where we stand.
I like this Colts team, A LOT. Andrew Luck is becoming one of the leagues best players and in the next 3-5 years, I can see him becoming the best QB in all of the NFL. Recent acquisition, Frank Gore, was quoted saying that Luck is a football God and that playing with him is like playing with an offensive coordinator on the field. Big words from Gore, but I believe it. Luck is a helll of a player, and appears to also have a very vast knowledge of the game around him. The Colts come into this season with high expectations. Being just one game from the Super Bowl in 2014, the fans and players believe this could be the season that Luck gets them over the hump and into the big one. A good defense and a high powered offense could make that happen. However, in order to get to the AFC title game, Super Bowl, or even the playoffs, Indy needs to get through teams like Buffalo. The key to this game is very simple. The Colts just need to play their game. The Bills defense will hang tough for a period of time, but if Luck and his offense stick with their game plan, I see them eventually making the big plays needed. As for the Colts defense, which is also pretty solid, just play tough. The Bills offense will be their question mark and as long as the Colts do not have any mental mistakes, busted coverages, or allow any fluke plays, I think they will be just fine.
The Buffalo Bills. I can see their fans enduring a very frustrating season. Buffalo could very well have one of the NFLs top 5-10 defenses and still go 6-10. Why you ask? The offense. They are in bad shape. Okay, yes they lit up the Pittsburgh Steelers recently in the preseason, but I am not so sure that is a good evaluation tool. I did mention in another article that the performance by the Bills offense was bad news for the Steelers, but I am not ready to crown the Bills as a good offense just yet. There are far too many injuries, questions, and concerns. Where most people think that EJ Manuel will probably be the starter, there is a chance that Tyrod Taylor or even Matt Cassel could get the nod from Rex Ryan. NFL teams that are having a QB competition this deep into the preseason are typically not a legit contenderespecially when they play in a conference as talented as the AFC East. Having to play New England and Miami twice each this season will not bode well. The key for this gamesheesh. The Bills will need to slow down Andrew Luck. The problem is, when slowing down Andrew Luck, the Colts are still pretty good for 20-24 points. Not only that, but their offense will need to sustain some long drives and slow this game down in order to keep the scoring low. If the Bills can do that, I can see them keeping the game close enough to at least cover the three points.
I do not like this match-up for the Bills. No way. I have said a few times that I believe in their defense, but I like the Colts to come in and get a pretty easy win. I hate, and I repeat hate, taking road dogs in the NFL, but I have no choice here. I like the Colts to win this thing something like 24-16.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Take Andrew Luck and the Colts to cover the three points (Colts -3)
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