The Buffalo Bills (0-1) will host the Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) in Week 2 of the NFL season. Kickoff from Highmark Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 17. The Bills check in as 8.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Can Buffalo bounce back after a tough road loss at the New York Jets last Monday, or will the Raiders keep improving to 2-0 with a pair of key road victories? We’ll break down our top pick against the spread below.
Raiders vs. Bills, Week 2: Pick against the spread
The “Jimmy Garoppolo era” got off to a good start, as the Raiders surprised in Week 1 with a gritty 17-16 road victory at the Denver Broncos last week. Las Vegas took the lead when Garoppolo hit wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for a 6-yard touchdown with over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, and then the defense held.
Meanwhile, the Bills experienced somewhat of a meltdown on Monday Night Football last week. Despite Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaving with an injury after just four snaps, Buffalo couldn’t capitalize. Bills quarterback Josh Allen turned the ball over four times, and the Jets did just enough to win 22-16 in overtime.
It really feels like that performance for Allen and the Bills was more of a misnomer than anything. This could be a huge bounce-back spot in the home opener for Buffalo. The Bills went 7-1 at home last season, and they won six of those games by at least 8 points. Even though the Raiders’ defense looked solid last week, they will now travel to play a motivated Bills team that is looking to get back on track. Expect Buffalo to win this game and cover the spread while reminding people why they are a top Super Bowl contender.