Futures Betting: Buffalo Bills Enter OTAs With Questions
As we head into June, thoughts turn more to NFL season, as organized team activities start to pick up. In Buffalo, there is some legitimate concern that the Bills’ Super Bowl window is closing.
How does that affect the way the best sports betting sites see things for the team?
Buffalo Bills Need More Balance From the Offence
Last season the team relied far too much on 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback Josh Allen in the running game. Allen finished the season with 762 yards, for a 6.1-yard average. Good production, but not ideal if you’re an organization wanting to keep your key roster cog healthy for long stretches.
The team let diminutive RB Devin Singletary walk and brought in power back Damien Harris this off-season. The former Patriots starter is 5-11, 213 pounds, and ran for 462 yards and a 4.4-yard average (three touchdowns) last season. So that’s going to help balance out the offence.
Coach Sean McDermott told the press last week that he saw a new focus and determination with Allen, which is a good sign. The NFL betting sites have Allen labeled as one of the best in the league, but an extra step up will be welcomed.
“Just understanding our window, and I want to give everything that I have for as long as I play,” Allen told reporters last week. “I’m not saying that I haven’t done that in the past, but there’s always new ways that I can find to get better and not being complacent with what I’m doing on the field, understanding that there’s a lot of plays that we left out there.
“And statistically you look at it, we were a top 3-4 offense in the league last year, and it wasn’t good enough. So, just losing the playoffs isn’t fun, you know?”
Bills' Defence Has Big Hole to Fill
The Bills last season were a top-ranked offence – second in total yards, at 6,361 (397.6 yards per game), seventh in passing stats (4,129 yards), seventh in rushing (2,232 yards, a 5.2-yard average).
The Bills, though, have a big hole on defence with the departure of middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed as a free agent for big money with the Chicago Bears (a four-year, $72 million contract). Edmunds, who called out defensive plays, wasn’t replaced, in terms of a player at his level.
Pro Bowl edge rusher Von Miller reports the recovery from ACL surgery is going well and he expects to be back no later than week six.
While we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, BetMGM came out with the Week 1 futures. The Bills open in New York against Aaron Rodgers at the Jets on Sept. 11, at 8:15 p.m., the first Monday night game.
BetMGM Sportsbook has the current spread at Bills -1.5, Jets +1.5, with the Bills getting 90 per cent of the bets and 95 per cent of the handle. The O/U is 47.5 – with the Over getting 30 per cent of the bets and 25 per cent of the handle. The current Moneyline is Bills 1.83, Jets 2.0 – with Bills generating 46 per cent of bets and 60 per cent of the handle.
