Bills Open as 6.5-Point Favorites Against Colts in Wild Card Round
- The Buffalo Bills opened as 6.5-point favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Wild Card Playoff round
- Buffalo will play host to a postseason game for the first time since 1996
- Read below for opening odds analysis and a prediction on which way the line will move before kickoff
Among a list of streak-ending accomplishments achieved by the Buffalo Bills this season, they’ll also be establishing a first. The Bills and Indianapolis Colts will meet in the NFL playoffs for the first time ever.
Buffalo is playing host to an NFL playoff game for the first time since 1996. The Bills are AFC East champions for the first time since 1995. Second-ranked in the AFC, that’s Buffalo’s highest playoff seeding since 1993.
The Bills will be looking to win their first playoff game since 1995, and the oddsmakers are favoring them to accomplish that mission. Buffalo (13-3) opened as the 6.5-point chalk over the 11-5 Colts.
Buffalo is a solid 4-1 against the spread as a home favorite this season.
Colts vs Bills Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | +260 | +6.5 (-105) | OFF |
| Buffalo Bills | -320 | -6.5 (-115) | OFF |
Odds taken Jan. 3rd at FanDuel.
The New York State government is granting approval for 6,772 to be in attendance at Bills Stadium. The tickets have already sold out.
Bills An Offensive Juggernaut
This game comes down to whether the Colts defense can find a way to slow down the potent offense of the Bills. Buffalo was one of just three AFC offenses to average over 30 points per game. Buffalo recorded at least 20 first downs in every game of the regular season.
AFC playoff field set …
1) Chiefs
2) Bills
3) Steelers
4) Titans
5) Ravens
6) Browns
7) ColtsWild Card Weekend: Colts at Bills, Browns at Steelers, Ravens at Titans.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 4, 2021
Bills quarterback Josh Allen broke Drew Bledsoe’s franchise single-season passing yardage mark. With nothing other than seeding to play for on Sunday, Buffalo put 56 points up on Miami and crushed the playoff hopes of the Dolphins.
Indianapolis is the NFL’s eighth ranked defense. However, the Colts were only 18th at defending the pass. Will they be able to put the clamps on the Allen-Stefon Diggs partnership? Diggs led the NFL with 1,576 receiving yards.
A Frank Memory
This Colts-Bills matchup was set on the anniversary of one of the most famous Bills playoff wins. In the 1992 AFC Wild Card playoffs, Buffalo rallied from a 35-3 deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38.
Look who is coming to Buffalo#Bills #Colts pic.twitter.com/PomRnyGxJY
— Mike Catalana (@MikeCatalana) January 4, 2021
Buffalo’s winning QB that day was none other than Colts head coach Frank Reich, so he knows a thing or two about engineering stunning outcomes in Buffalo.
The Colts can’t match Buffalo’s offense. However, Buffalo’s defense looks to be susceptible. The Bills have surrendered 400+ yards and 25+ points in seven of 16 games this season.
Injury Report
Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (knee) was out for the regular-season finale against the Dolphins. Three defensive starters – cornerback Tre’Davious White and defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison – were also inactive for that game but are believed to be healthy scratches.
Bills' inactives today include Tre'Davious White, Jerry Hughes, Cole Beasley and Mario Addison.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 3, 2021
The Colts list no injuries among their starters.
Trendspotting
The Bills have won two of the past three meetings from the Colts and have taken three in a row and eight of 11 from Indy at Buffalo. Buffalo has won six in a row for the first time since 2004. The Bills are also winners of seven of their last eight, all of those victories by final margins of 10+ points.
Congratulations to the Colts. They are in the playoffs but will have a tall order going to Buffalo next week. Bills are hot and playing well in all three phases.
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) January 4, 2021
The Colts have scored 24+ points in eight successive games. That’s the fourth-longest streak in team history. Jonathan Taylor joined Hall of Famers Edgerrin James and Eric Dickerson as the only rookie running backs in Colts history with 1,000+ rushing yards and 10+ rushing TD.
As much as the Bills deserve their favored status, 6.5 points might be a bit too much. Look for the line on Indy to shorten.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
