The Green Bay Packers square off against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium this week. This game will feature the NFL’s fifth-leading receiver, Jordy Nelson (1,265 yards, 12 TDs). It starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and can be seen on FOX.
In last week’s game, Bills fell to Broncos 24-17. Scott Chandler had a good performance in the loss, totaling eight receptions for 81 yards. Green Bay is hoping for a similar result to last week when they defeated Atlanta 43-37. Nelson had a big game for the Packers, hauling in eight balls for 146 yards and two TDs. Aaron Rodgers also had a big game with 327 yards and three TDs through the air.
The Bills, a five-point underdog, will be looking to hold down their home field when Green Bay comes to town. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 48 points. Sitting at 7-6 both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Bills will look to improve as they head into Week 15. In their five most recent matchups, the Bills went 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS. Scoring against the Bills has been harder than usual as of late. While they’ve given up an average of 18.5 points for the season, they have stepped it up in the last five games, only allowing 15. During those five games, Buffalo’s opponents have struggled to do anything with the ball, only managing 289 yards per game. One of the keys to the game will be if the Packers can protect the quarterback against Buffalo’s aggressive pass rush. The defense leads the league in sacks with 3.5 per game. If the game is close late, the Bills may have an edge. Green Bay usually finishes games poorly, giving up 9.4 points per game in the fourth quarter.
In the other locker room, the Packers head into Week 15 with records of 7-5-1 ATS and 10-3 SU. The Packers went 5-0 SU and 3-2 ATS over the last five games. When it comes to scoring, the Packers have figured something out. During the last five games, they averaged 40 PPG, above their 32.5 PPG season average. The Bills may be catching the Packers at the wrong time. They have found their groove on offense in the past five games, averaging 453.6 total yards during that span. The Green Bay run defense has given teams problems during the past five games as well. During that time, opponents have gained an average of only 90.2 rushing yards against this frightening group. The Packers defense should be able to take away the ball as the Bills rank 31st in the league in fumbles lost at home with 1.1 per game. Don’t be surprised to hear lots of calls against the Bills when they take the field. Buffalo is among the most penalized teams in the league, receiving an average of 7.8 penalties per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – GB, ATS Winner – BUF, O/U – Under
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Green Bay’s last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo’s last 5 games.
Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Buffalo’s last 8 games at home.
Green Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road.
Buffalo is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Green Bay’s last 9 games on the road.
Green Bay is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Buffalo.
Green Bay is 9-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Buffalo is 4-3 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Green Bay is 10-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Buffalo is 4-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
This season, Buffalo is only 1-2 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
When it comes to passing this season, Buffalo is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its 17th-ranked passing attack will face the 20th-ranked pass defense of Green Bay, while its fourth-ranked pass defense will look to limit the sixth-ranked passing game of the Packers.
The Buffalo run defense is ranked eighth in the league this year, and will look to contain the 14th-ranked rushing attack of Green Bay.
Buffalo has allowed 18.5 points per game this year, which is ranked fifth overall. Green Bay has scored 32.5 points per contest this year, best in the league.
