The offseason in football can feel interminably long for those of us who love to watch and wager on the gridiron. That long slumber is coming to an end, though, with all the teams in training camp and the Hall of Fame Game already done and dusted, with the Denver Broncos taking out the Atlanta Falcons in a low-scoring affair in that one. This week sees the first full week of preseason games hit the schedule, with the action set to begin on Thursday night.
As is always the case, the opening week of the preseason is when we are likely to see teams made up of guys who will probably not even pick up a roster spot this year. It does, though, give us an opportunity to see how the depth chart might look this season, as we are going to go way down the bench in these games. We will be taking a look at a few of the upcoming games in Week 1 of the preseason, starting with the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Buffalo Bills. It is the Bills who are the slight NFL Betting favorites for this one, with the point total set at 34 ½.
Colts vs Bills 2019 NFL Preseason Week 1 Lines & Expert Pick
- When: Thursday, August 8 at 7 PM EST
- Where: New Era Field, Buffalo
- TV: NFL Network
- Radio: SiriusXM/NFL
- Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
- NFL Preseason Week 1 Lines: Indianapolis Colts -2 (Total 34.5)
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Weather Forecast
- Scattered Thunderstorms: 25°C/77°F
- Humidity: 75%
- Precipitation: 50%
- Cloud Cover: 50%
- Wind: 15 mph SW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Indianapolis Colts?
It was a better than expected season for the Colts last season, with Andrew Luck making it through the year free from injury and looking a lot like his old self for large chunks of the season. Given his previous injury woes, do not expect to see Luck take much of a part in the preseason proceedings until the final week, if at all.
Despite the fact that the Colts have one of the best QB’s in the business, they saw 7 of their last 9 games in 2018 go UNDER. This is not a match-up that has gone particularly well for the Colts in recent years, with Indianapolis winning just 3 of their last 9 games versus Buffalo, while only managing to cover the spread in 3 of their last 11 versus the Bills.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 25.94
- Passing Yards: 269.94
- Rushing Yards: 111.39
- Yards per Play: 5.77
- Points per Game: 21.22
- Passing Yards: 237.50
- Rushing Yards: 106.17
- Yards per Play: 5.42
Why bet on the Buffalo Bills?
The Buffalo Bills finished last season with a 6-10 record and an offensive output that has to be seen as the main reason why they failed to finish with a winning record. Despite the fact that this team routinely struggled to put points on the board, they did see 4 of their last 5 home games go OVER. It is that lack of offensive production that tends to have bookies setting point totals on the lower end of the scale.
In games played in August, the Bills are 3-6 ATS, but that all changes when they face teams from the AFC South. The Bills have covered the spread in 5 of their last 6 games versus teams from that division. They ended last season with a .500 record in their own building.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 16.81
- Passing Yards: 174.69
- Rushing Yards: 123.49
- Yards per Play: 4.74
- Points per Game: 23.38
- Passing Yards: 179.19
- Rushing Yards: 114.94
- Yards per Play: 4.86
2019 NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds, Overview & Expert Picks
Colts vs Bills NFL Preseason Week 1 Betting Trends
- Colts are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against an opponent in the AFC East division
- Colts are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games against Buffalo
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indianapolis’ last 5 games on the road
- Bills are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games played in August
- Bills are 5-15 SU in their last 20 games played on a Thursday
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 5 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Colts vs Bills
The Buffalo Bills may not necessarily be a great regular season bet, but they have been money in the preseason, covering the spread in 5 of their last 6. The last 3 meetings between these two teams in the preseason have gone OVER, so I think that is the bet we should be looking at here.
Score: Indianapolis Colts 21 – Buffalo Bills 23
