Heading into this Week 2 matchup, very few people thought the Las Vegas Raiders would be coming off a close win while the Buffalo Bills would be coming off an ugly loss. Yet here we are, the Bills facing a million questions while the Raiders are hoping to build on their momentum from last week.
Before the Raiders and Bills square off in Buffalo on Sunday, we’re going to take a deeper look at this matchup. Read on to find out about the bet365 odds for this game, the spread, how each team is doing, and the bets that are worth following for this exciting game.
Bet on Raiders vs Bills
Raiders vs. Bills odds
| Raiders Moneyline Odds | +320 |
| Bills Moneyline Odds | -400 |
| Spread odds | Bills -8.0 (-110) |
| Over/Under | 47 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Time/Date | Sept. 17, 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: CTV/DAZN |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Raiders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 o/u)
The Raiders have to feel good coming into this game, winning an ugly battle on the road against division-rival Denver last Sunday. The defence, a major question mark coming into the game, had a solid day. They limited the Broncos to just 16 points in the narrow one-point victory.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a solid, if unspectacular game. He went 20-for-26 for 200 yards passing, two touchdowns, and an interception. He developed a surprising rapport with Jakobi Meyers, targeting him a team-high 10 times, connecting nine times for 81 yards and both touchdowns.
All that said, the Broncos and Bills are worlds apart. The Raiders defence will face a major challenge when they roll into Orchard Park on Sunday. If they’re going to walk away with the stunning upset win, they’re going to need to force Josh Allen into the same dumb mistakes that the New York Jets did on Monday Night Football in Week 1.
On paper, this looks like a major mismatch. The spread (Bills -8.5) is a tad high, but this may end up being a bad situation for the Raiders to be in considering they’re travelling across the country. They’ll need to find a way to pressure Allen and keep him off-balance in order to have a fighting chance in this game.
About the Bills (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 o/u)
To say that the Monday Night Football loss to the Jets was not what the Bills had been hoping for would be a massive understatement. It was expected to be a tight battle for about four plays before Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tore and left him done for the year.
Unfortunately, Bills quarterback Josh Allen turned in maybe his worst performance ever. After a trio of interceptions and a fumble to boot, the Bills lost on a kick return touchdown in overtime. There are no more questions than answers at One Bills Drive.
Difficult as it may be, Bills faithful need to take a deep breath. This is still a great team that has won a lot of games over the last three years. Ugly performances happen – the Bengals were dominated 24-3 by the Browns, after all – and it is too early to discount the Bills.
This is the kind of game known as a “get right game.” The Bills are unquestioned favourites in this one and need to come out flying on Sunday. With a dynamic effort from Allen, James Cook, and Stefon Diggs, the Bills may take out their frustrations on the Raiders.
Betting mismatch
The clearest matchup problem could be with the Raiders secondary against the Bills receivers. Diggs is one of the best receivers in the game and was one of the few bright spots in Week 1 against the Jets. He caught 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown even while being shadowed regularly by elite corner Sauce Gardner.
The Raiders finished 29th in pass yards against per game last year, though they looked good against an average Broncos receiving corps. The Bills are a different beast, however. Allen has the ability to thread throws into tight windows, presenting even more of a challenge for the Raiders.
Total: Under 47.0 points
-110
Key injuries
On the Raiders side of things, the most important name to watch is receiver Davante Adams. He’s dealing with a foot injury and missed practice earlier in the week. He had six catches for 66 yards in the win over the Broncos a week ago and is one of the best receivers in the league. Bettors will want to monitor his status leading up to kickoff.
For the Bills, centre Mitch Morse has been dealing with a finger injury from Monday Night. He was a full participant in the Wednesday walkthrough, so all signs point to him starting. He played in every snap in the loss to the Jets.
Weather
It’s going to be a warm one in Orchard Park, NY on Sunday. The forecast calls for temperatures around 22C with up to 89% humidity. The winds will be calm and there’s currently no chance of rain. It should be ideal conditions for a Sunday afternoon football game.
Line moves
This spread line opened at Bills -9.5 and has since been bet down to Bills -8.5. The spread even reached Bills -10 at one point earlier in the week. As for the total, it opened at 47.5 points and now sits at 47 leading up to kickoff.
Betting trends
- Over their last 18 road games, the Raiders are just 7-11 against the spread. Even going back over their last three road games, they have failed to cover. That said, the Bills are also 1-6 in their last seven games at home, so picking against the spread might be a tough proposition here.
- The Bills are recognized as having one of the best offences in the league. That said, the Bills are actually 12-7 on unders while the Raiders have hit the under in five of their last seven. These historic trends make the under an attractive bet in this one.
Player prop trends
- Stefon Diggs’ receiving yards prop is set at 74.5. Last year, he topped that number in 10 of 16 games (62.5%) and he started this year off with more than 100 yards against a fierce Jets secondary.
- A year ago, Jimmy Garoppolo had touchdown passes in nine of 11 games he played in. In five of those games, he managed multiple touchdowns despite his reputation as more of a game manager than anything else.
Josh Allen anytime TD
+150
Wagers to consider
- Despite having one of the most dynamic offences in the league, the Bills have been an under machine. Likewise, the Raiders have hit the under in five of their last seven as well. Choose the under (47 points, -110) in this one.
- Dating back to last year, the Bills have been middling against the spread at best. They are 8-8-1 ATS including the Jets game. They also had a stretch last year where they failed to cover in five of seven games, partially because they were limiting opponents to so few points. The 8.5-point spread feels like a recipe for a failed cover.
- Josh Allen’s passing yards prop is set at 254.5 yards. Last season, he averaged 267.7 yards per game, though he hit his over in just six of 15 games last year. That said, this matchup lines up for him to hit the over.
