The Buffalo Bills head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the third NFL preseason contest for both teams. The Bills are 0-2, but both of their losses have been close, as they lost at home to Minnesota, 17-10, and then lost in Philadelphia to the Eagles, 20-16. Baltimore has looked impressive on both sides of the ball so far in this preseason, steamrolling Washington and Miami by a combined score of 54-10. Buffalo looks to build some confidence after a 7-9 campaign last year (and the departure of Rex Ryan), while Baltimore looks to move back into their contender role in the AFC North. Here’s why the Ravens are the favorites in the NFL lines against the Bills.
It’s the Ravens’ defense that has people raving, though. They have permitted 258 yards combined over two games — an average of almost 200 yards per game fewer than what they permitted a year ago. We haven’t even seen first-round pick Marlon Humphrey take the field at cornerback yet — but he is slated to appear in this game. Given all of the struggles that the Bills have had on offense up to this point in the season, it’s hard to see them making much headway against this ironclad unit.
Buffalo at Baltimore NFL Preseason Lines, Preview & Prediction
When: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 7:00 PM ET Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore TV: Local Affiliates Only Radio: WGR 550 AM (Buffalo) / WBAL 1090 AM (Baltimore) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Preseason Odds: Baltimore -3.5, O/U 39Locked in. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/AqZAgRHbPF
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) August 24, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 24°C/75°F
- Humidity: 51%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Wind: 5 mph NE
- Cloud Cover: 36%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why should you bet on the Bills?
Buffalo is having a hard time finding momentum on offense — a problem that also plagued them last year. They have scored just 26 combined points in their first two games — even though they have gained 385 yards per game. Last year, the Bills averaged 25 points per game, but they would often come up empty at crucial moments. Tyrod Taylor returns to lead the offense — but his early returns have been less than positive, as he has thrown for just 99 yards and a pair of picks. Nate Peterman is pushing him as the backup, throwing for 279 yards and a score with no picks. On defense, rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White has already started to make his mark, picking up four tackles in limited action. I expect to see more of him against the Ravens. The fact that the Bills have permitted only 37 points in this preseason after averaging 24 points permitted per contest this year is encouraging. However, the defense will get a real test from the dynamic Baltimore attack. If you like Buffalo, you see the Bills getting to Ryan Mallett and keeping him from finding the same lanes down the field that he found last week.Why should you put your money on the Ravens?
It’s worth noting that the Ravens offense is firing on all cylinders against Joe Flacco, who continues to sit out with back concerns. It was Mallett and Josh Woodrum who combined to go 21 for 32 for 223 yards, and despite two interceptions from Mallett, the defense was able to keep Miami from taking advantage, and the offense still is averaging 27 points per game. They’re also averaging 136.5 yards in the running game, good for fourth overall for this preseason — a huge increase from last year, when they averaged 91 yards on the ground per game. Taquan Mizzell has been a big part of this improvement, picking up 89 yards so far.
It’s the Ravens’ defense that has people raving, though. They have permitted 258 yards combined over two games — an average of almost 200 yards per game fewer than what they permitted a year ago. We haven’t even seen first-round pick Marlon Humphrey take the field at cornerback yet — but he is slated to appear in this game. Given all of the struggles that the Bills have had on offense up to this point in the season, it’s hard to see them making much headway against this ironclad unit.
