New England Patriots (8-8) vs. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
January 8, 2023 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Buffalo Bills -7.5 / New England Patriots +7.5 ; Over/Under: 42.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills meet Sunday in college basketball action from Bills Stadium. New England is 8-8 overall this year. The Patriots beat the Dolphins in their last game. As for Buffalo, they’re coming off a suspended Monday game versus the Bengals due to tragic and frightening circumstances. The Bills stand at 12-3 overall. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
New England went just 3-4 over their first seven games beating only the Steelers, Browns and Lions. The Patriots are 5-4 since then with wins over the Jets, Colts, Jets again, Cardinals and Dolphins during that stretch.
New England took on the Dolphins back on Sunday. The Patriots outscored Miami 16-14 in the second half and eked out a 23-21 victory. QB Mac Jones posted 203 yards with two scores, and Tyquan Thornton put up 60 yards with a TD.
Over on the Buffalo side, they went 6-1 over their first seven games with a lone loss to the Dolphins. The Bills took losses to the Jets and Vikings, then beat the Browns, Lions, Patriots, Jets, Dolphins and Bears over the next six outings.
On Monday versus the Bengals, Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed early in the game, suffering on-field cardiac arrest in a scary scenario. The remainder of the game was suspended and Hamlin remains in intensive care. Hamlin has shown encouraging signs of improvement since then but remains in critical condition.
The Patriots are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 27 on turf and 2-6 ATS in their last eight versus the AFC East. New England is 1-5 ATS in the last six overall.
Meanwhile, the Bills are 1-4 ATS in the last five versus the AFC East and 1-4 ATS in their last five at home. The under is 4-1 in Buffalo’s last five versus the AFC East.
PICK: I might take a stab on New England here. Probably staying away, though. The Patriots still control their own destiny when it comes to the playoffs, and a win here would get them in. New England had some trouble with a Tua-less Dolphins team in their last outing however, and they haven’t eclipsed 27 points for 10 straight games. Still, I think the Pats can get in there on a cover if they play well.
As for the Bills, it’s difficult to imagine the team returning to the field after the frightening Monday-night ordeal in the Bengals game. There are more important things than football, and hopefully Hamlin continues to show signs of improvement as the week continues. If all goes well, there’s a good chance of a recovery but it will remain a scary and tense situation until then. I like Buffalo to pull together and win this one, with New England eking out a cover.
