Bills Listed as 2.5-Point Favorites in Opening Odds for Divisional Round Matchup with Ravens

• Buffalo will host Baltimore in the Divisional Round on Saturday, January 16 (8:15 pm EST)
• The Bills have won seven straight, while the Ravens are riding a six-game winning streak of their own 
• Read below for opening odds analysis and a prediction on which way the line will move before kickoff

Thanks to the Cleveland Browns upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers, two of the league’s hottest teams will now square off in the Divisional Round. The Baltimore Ravens, fresh off a 20-13 win over Tennessee on Wild Card Weekend, will travel to Buffalo to face the Bills on Saturday (Jan. 16, 8:15 pm EST), after they squeaked past Indianapolis 27-24.

Ravens vs Bills Opening Odds

Odds taken Jan 10th at DraftKings.

Buffalo, winners of seven straight, opened as a 2.5-point favorite over a Baltimore squad that’s riding a six-game winning streak of its own. This game features a total of 50, a number that three of the Bills’ past four games have exceeded.

Bills Ball So Hard

Buffalo’s Wild Card victory wasn’t the dominant performance we’ve come to expect from them, but Josh Allen continued to cement himself as one of the league’s top young pivots. The third-year star threw for 324 yards and two scores, while adding 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Josh Allen finished 26-of-35 (74%) for 324 yards and 2 TDs. Also added 11/54/1 with his legs.

This makes him the first QB to throw for 300+, run for 50+, and complete at least 70% of his passes in a playoff game all-time. Unreal.

— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) January 9, 2021

Stefon Diggs, the NFL’s leading receiver, hauled in 6 catches for 128 yards and TD, but the Bills offense struggled on 3rd downs (2-for-9) and lost the time of possession battle by nearly 9 minutes.

Stefon Diggs in his first playoff game with the @BuffaloBills 😤

🔵 6 Receptions
🔵 128 Yards
🔵 1 TD pic.twitter.com/QkA4xbRzBT

— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2021

The Bills won their previous six outings by an average of 19.8 points, so perhaps them winning a hard fought, close game, will give Buffalo backers confidence heading into the Divisional Round showdown with the Ravens.

One injury to note for the Bills is the loss of running back Zack Moss. The rookie suffered an ankle injury versus the Colts and will be forced to miss some time according to the NFL Network.

Ravens Stymie Titans

Baltimore meanwhile, dug themselves an early 10-0 hole before storming back to knock off Tennessee. Lamar Jackson threw for 179 yards and a TD, while adding 136 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

A tale of two run games:

Lamar Jackson:
16 Carries
136 Yards
1 TD

Derrick Henry:
18 Carries
40 Yards
0 TD pic.twitter.com/j5Mr2texUk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 10, 2021

The Ravens out rushed the Titans 236-51, and held two-time rushing champ Derrick Henry to just 40 yards on the ground. Baltimore also limited Ryan Tannehill to 165 passing yards, and became just the second team in two months to hold Tennessee below 31 points.

The Ravens have surrendered 19 or fewer points to six of their last seven opponents, and ranked second in points allowed and sixth in passing yards allowed per game. Baltimore’s pass defense will have their hands full with Allen and company, who finished third in 2020 in passing yards and passing TD per game.

MARCUS PETERS WITH THE BIG TIME PICK 😤

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/VCX0VqdCBb

— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2021

The Ravens didn’t suffer any significant injuries in the Wild Card round and will be operating at near full strength against the Bills.

Expect Early Action on Buffalo

Both of these teams are scorching hot at the moment, but we’re likely to see the Bills draw enough early action to push this line to at least -3. Buffalo was 11-5 ATS this season, and are the darlings of the football world at the moment.

Good morning. The Buffalo Bills won their first playoff game in 25 years yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ejNyGWlDFS

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 10, 2021

They ended the regular season by covering eight straight, and were beating the number versus Indy for most of the second half in the Wild Card round.

If the line does reach -3 or -3.5, expect a heavy buy back on the Ravens. Baltimore was equally as impressive ATS this season, going 10-5-1, and have now covered in seven straight after beating Tennessee by a touchdown as 3-point favorites.