Bills vs. Lions: NFL preseason betting odds, preview, and pick

Buffalo and Detroit kick off their 2021 NFL seasons on Friday night when the Lions host the Bills in preseason action. We have the betting odds and pick you need for this interconference clash.

Allen not expected to play

After locking their star quarterback up with a six-year deal, Josh Allen will not play in Friday night’s curtain raiser. This is typical for a Bills team under Sean McDermott, who tends to rest his starters wholly for the first preseason game. Instead, Mitch Trubisky will lead the offense for about one quarter before giving way to Jake Fromm.

Without Stefon Diggs or Emmanuel Sanders, Trubisky and Fromm will be looking to target Isaiah Hodgins and rookie Marquez Stevenson, with both vying to be the third receiver this season. However, the biggest spot to watch in this one is the running back position, with backup Zach Moss hoping to impress and potentially move into the starting role. He is questionable for the game, however, as he left Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring issue.

One area the Bills will look for improvement is their pass rush. Rated one of the worst in the league the past few years, they invested in a few upgrades and will want to see them perform in their limited snaps.

Lions writing new chapter without Stafford

For the first time since 2008, the Lions will open their season without Matthew Stafford on their roster. He was dealt in the offseason to the Rams, with Jared Goff coming back in return. Goff will start and play about one quarter, before giving way to Tim Boyle and David Blough. Both will be hoping to win the backup role, with Boyle having the most to prove.

It remains to be seen who they will be throwing passes to, as the top three receivers for the Lions departed in the offseason. Rookie WR Amon-Ra St. Brown should be plenty of snaps, with TE T.J. Hockenson looking to build off a strong season.

D’Andre Swift continues to deal with a groin injury that will not go away, so backup RB Jamaal Williams should see a fair amount of snaps. He will hope to show he can handle the increased workload, as he might see just that if Swift continues to be hampered.

Defensively, Detroit was dead last in scoring defense during the 2020 season, and they will hope to see improvements from their secondary. New head coach Dan Campbell said he is expecting their 2020 third-overall pick Jeffrey Okudah to step up after a poor rookie season.

Bills and Lions Trends

• The Bills are 4-0 ATS in their last four preseason games
• The Lions are 1-4 ATS in their last five preseason games
• The Bills are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games against Detroit
• The Over is 13-6 in Buffalo’s last 19 games
• The Over is 7-3 in Detroit’s last 10 games

Expect a strong start from Trubisky

Even without most of their starters, Buffalo has the stronger squad and Trubisky will want to perform well in hopes of becoming a starter for someone later this season via trade. His weapons in the passing game are young, but still better than what the Lions will have.

Even though it is preseason, McDermott has always shown he wants to win these contests, with a 7-5 record over three seasons. I like Buffalo to show their depth over a Detroit team that still has many problems and few weapons on the offensive side of the ball.

Score prediction: Buffalo 30, Detroit 13

NFL Preseason Pick: Bills moneyline (+100), and OVER 35.5