Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Thanksgiving Day NFL action will begin on Thursday afternoon with what’s expected to be a lopsided non-conference bout between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. Coverage begins from Ford Field in Detroit at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Updated on 04/20/2024

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BUFFALO BILLS vs. DETROIT LIONS BETTING PREDICTION

The Lions have been on quite the rollercoaster so far this season, as Detroit kicked off the year with a frustrating 1-6 skid, highlighted by Dan Campbell’s squad racking up 24.7 PPG on 395 YPG across their opening stretch, while defensively, allowing an average of 32.1 PPG on 421 YPG during that span.

However, they’ve flipped the script over the last few weeks, as the Lions now enter Thursday riding a relatively stunning three-game win streak, while scoring 31+ PTS in two of their last three contests, and on the flipside, holding their opponent to 18 PTS or less in two of those affairs.

The Bills, on the other hand, have experienced their fair share of ups and downs so far this season, but none quite like Detroit, as Buffalo scored an average of 28.1 PPG and allowed just 17.4 PPG across a solid 7-3 run to open the year, which ranks second and fifth in the league respectively.

The Lions seemed content punting away the season after starting 1-6, however, Detroit clearly has some fight left following consecutive upsets over the Packers, Bears, and Giants, which speaks volumes about this squad’s resiliency. But are they actually capable of standing toe-to-toe with a two-way powerhouse like Buffalo?

This year’s Lions squad is much better than squads we’ve seen over the last few seasons, which became undeniable during their latest three-game stretch. However, they’ve really struggled against upper-tier offenses, highlighted by Detroit allowing an average of 33.8 PPG in matchups against the Vikings, Eagles, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Seahawks.

And if their defense performs similarly against Buffalo this Thursday, I think we’ll see Jared Goff and co. get left in the dust against a Bills squad that’s surrendered 19 PTS or less in eight-of-ten contests this season.

Score Prediction: Bills 30, Lions 17
Best Bet: Bills -9.5 (-110)

BUFFALO BILLS vs. DETROIT LIONS BETTING ODDS

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BUFFALO BILLS vs. DETROIT LIONS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Thursday, November 24, 2022
Matchup: AFC East vs. NFC North
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Time-TV: CBS, 12:30 p.m. ET

Bills vs. Lions Best Bets

BUFFALO BILLS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Bills probably have the best roster from top-to-bottom in the AFC, and at this point, I don’t think it’s much of a debate, however, they certainly haven’t played like it the last few weeks, as Buffalo followed up an impressive 6-1 start to the season with back-to-back losses to the Jets and Vikings in Weeks 9 and 10, while turning the ball over six times across those two affairs.

Buffalo got back on track with an ugly 31-23 home win over Cleveland this past Sunday, and despite their latest struggles, the Bills still rank second in the league in points scored and fifth in points allowed (28.1 OPPG, 17.4 DPPG)

Regardless of how many points you score or allow, though, it’s incredibly difficult to maintain consistency in this league when you fail to protect the football, and this powerhouse Bills squad having three losses on their resume due to Josh Allen and co. ranking dead-last in giveaways per game is a glaring example of that.

DETROIT LIONS BETTING ANALYSIS

Detroit was arguably the most fun team to watch in the first few weeks of the season, as the Lions racked up 32.5 PPG, and defensively, allowed a league-worst 35.3 PPG across a thrilling 1-3 start to the year, with all three of their losses during that span coming by slim margins of four points or less.

Meanwhile, everybody began to buy high on this Lions squad, despite their only victory on the season coming at home against the Commanders, as Detroit visited Foxborough as short three-point underdogs against New England in Week 5.

But the wheels finally fell off in a 29-0 loss to the Patriots, and their offense has been incredibly inconsistent since, highlighted by the Lions scoring 15 PTS or less in three of their last six contests, to go along with performances of 27+ PTS in the other three.

The Lions have played some inspired football recently, however, I think we’ll see their offense perform closer to the 15-point side of the spectrum against an elite Bills defensive unit on Thursday afternoon.

BUFFALO BILLS vs. DETROIT LIONS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone UNDER in six of Buffalo's last eight games.
• The Bills are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games.
• The Lions are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of Detroit's last 12 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in six straight matchups between the Lions and Bills.
• The total has gone OVER in five of Detroit's last six home games.
• The Bills are 5-1 SU in their last six games against Detroit.
• The total has gone UNDER in five straight Bills' road games.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson