NFL Prediction: Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills NFL Picks, Odds, Predictions 8/13/2021

The Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills meet in week 1 NFL Preseason action from Ford Field on Friday.

The Buffalo Bills come into the 2021 season after winning their first division title since 1995, finishing with a 13-3 record and logging a franchise record 501 points following the acquisitions of players like Stefon Diggs Mario Addison and A.J. Klein in the prior offseason. The influx in talent helped propel the Bills led by head coach Sean McDermott and returning QB Josh Allen to their first AFC championship game since 1993, where the Bills would fall to the then-defending champion Kansas City Chiefs by a final count of 38-24. Allen and Diggs as well as the rest of Buffalo’s dynamic offense, is one of the best in the league coming into this season, as they were #3 in passing last year and improved their scoring average by almost 12 points per game. Allen’s insane growth in year three with Diggs as his top man was stupefying, and led Diggs to being the NFL’s leading receiver with 127 catches for 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The Bills also have Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis as the top volume catcher and speed threat while Devin Singletary and Zack Moss give Buffalo a scary two-headed monster in the backfield. Defensively, the Bills only get stronger with the return of top run-stopper Star Lotulelei, who opted out of 2020 because of COVID-19 safety, while Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison will help Lotulelei and Ed Oliver from one of the league’s top defensive fronts. Tremaine Edmunds and a hopefully healthy Matt Milano anchor the linebackers while Tre-Davious White, Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are waiting in the secondary. As a team, Buffalo averaged 31.3 PPG while allowing 23.4 PPG last season.

The Detroit Lions come into this one with a long list of goals under new head coach Dan Campbell after ending the Matt Patricia era last season. Goals like improving on their 5-11 record from last year as well as making the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and picking up their first division title since 1993. 2008 marks the first year that Matthew Stafford won’t be starting under center for the Lions as he was shipped to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for some draft picks and the team’s new starting quarterback, Jared Goff. The key to any success for Detroit will be keeping Goff healthy, as David Blough and Tim Boyle aren’t very capable backups and it starts with the Lions drafting Penei Sewell in the first round of the NFL draft in the offseason. The big acquisition on the ground was Jamaal Williams to compliment D’Andre Swift while Jermar Jefferson and Dedrick Mills are also options on the ground for Detroit. While the Lions lost the likes of Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola, the Lions capably replaced them with the likes of Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman, Quintez Cephus and rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown. T.J. Hockenson also returns at tight end and could be in line for a massive season here. On defense, Aaron Glenn is tasked with improving one of the worst defensive units the Lions ever put on the field. Michael Brockers was brought in to help get some pressure on opposing QBs while Alex Anzalone was signed to anchor the linebacking group that’s led by Jamie Collins. Jeff Okudah leads Detroit’s secondary while Tracy Walker and Will Harris are expected to start at the safety spots. Quinton Dunbar was brought in as a veteran presence for the Lions and could end up seeing a fair share of playing time as well. As a team, Detroit averaged 23.4 PPG while allowing 32.4 PPG last season.

Buffalo is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite while the over is 11-5-1 in their last 17 games as a road favorite. Detroit is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games on turf while the over is 12-3 in their last 15 home games.

I don’t even think we have to wait until the regular season to cast away on these Lions. They’re simply not a good football team and a coaching change isn’t going to change that. I also don’t think Jared Goff is ready for the struggles coming his way in Detroit. Buffalo is priming for another run at back-to-back division titles and are hungry after going deep in the postseason last year. Give me the Bills in this one.