NFL Football
2009-12-03 - New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
Preview
Buffalo Bills travel to entertain their fans North of the border as this match takes place in Toronto, the 2nd time the Bills will be playing there in their 5 match deal with the Rogers Centre.
They come into the game with a 4-7 record after beating divisional rivals Miami last weekend but this still leaves them in 4th position in the AFC East and with a very small window of opportunity for the playoffs this season- to put it mildly they have a slim chance and no chance, with slim chance half way out of the door.
Buffalo are 2-3 at home this season, coupling good wins like against Miami with some shocking defeats, for example the 3-6 loss to Cleveland.
The New York Jets were being touted as potential winners of the AFC East after their 3-0 start with rookie Mark Sanchez at QuarterBack but things have changed in recent weeks with even a playoff spot looking precarious.
The Jets are 5-6 which leaves them 3rd in the AFC East after losing both matches against the Miami Dolphins who have the same record. This also means they are 2 games behind the New England Patriots who sit on top of the division and also a game behind those sides chasing a playoff spot.
New York are 2-3 on the road this season although they have had a tough schedule with trips already taken to New England and New Orleans.
Head to Head and Against the Spread
These 2 sides met earlier this season in New York with Buffalo pulling the 16-13 upset. Both sides made mistakes in that game, with Buffalo winning the turnover battle.
These 2 sides always have tight battles and the last 4 matches in Buffalo have been split 2-2. It is perhaps more interesting to note that New York are 3-1 against the spread in their 4 visits to Buffalo, although Buffalo are 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 matches anywhere.
Buffalo are 4-2 in their last 6 matches against the spread and New York are 2-4 over the same stretch of matches.
The Bills have been having trouble with their offense in recent weeks, and last weekend was the first time in 7 matches that their team managed to break the 20 point barrier. They scored 31 points against Miami thanks to their defensive play but had averaged 6.66 points per game at home over their previous 3 matches.
New York have had some problems in defense in recent weeks after starting the season strongly but they did manage to restrict Carolina to 6 points last weekend.
Both teams have only won 1 of their last 4 games at home and on the road respectively.
Prediction
Buffalo looked to have found some life against Miami last weekend in offense but this is going to be another tough test for them. Terrell Owens will always be a threat and they are forcing turnovers. Their 25 turnovers is tied 3rd in the NFL.
New York will be hoping Mark Sanchez can restrict the amount of mistakes he makes and will focus on their ground game against the Bills. The defense really stepped up last weekend and Darrelle Revis has performed very well against top receivers this season and should be able to give Owens some issues.
This is a must win for both teams for different reasons. If the match was played in Buffalo I would have favoured the home team, but last season it was a mixed crowd here in Toronto and I think New York will have many fans too. The match might revolve around who makes the least errors and I think New York may win the turnover battle and the match.
Its a tough match but I will go with New York to improve to 6-6 and make a late effort to join the playoff picture
The Pick :
Buffalo Bills 17-24 New York Jets
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take the New York Jets -3.0 Points to win and cover
