The Buffalo Bills (6-6) head to Lincoln Financial Field to square off with the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) this week. Losing three of its last four, this rough season hasn’t gotten any better for Philadelphia. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec 13 and will air on CBS.
In last week’s game, Philadelphia prevailed against the Patriots 35-28. Malcolm Jenkins led the defensive effort for Philadelphia in the victory, recording six tackles and one interception. Buffalo also won last week, defeating the Texans 30-21. Tyrod Taylor had a great game through the air for the Bills, connecting on 11 of 21 pass attempts for 211 yards and three TDs. Sammy Watkins also had a great game with 109 yards and a TD on three catches.
Philadelphia is a slim one-point favorite at home against the Bills. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently at 47 points.
Sitting at 5-7 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Eagles will look to improve heading into Week 14. In their five most recent matchups, the Eagles went 2-3 for both SU and ATS. The Eagles love running during home games, ranking fourth in the league with 30.4 rushing attempts per game at home. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. The Bills probably won’t throw the ball often in Philadelphia. They are one of the least-effective passing teams on the road, averaging 210.3 passing yards per away game. The Bills will have to keep Philadelphia from hitting their quarterback. The Eagles average the fifth-most sacks per home game in the league with 3.2. In the third quarter, Philadelphia demands the best from defenses, putting up 6.8 points during the third frame. Concentration could be a key factor in this week’s game. The Eagles hope to profit on Buffalo’s mental lapses, which contribute to a league-leading 82 penalty yards per game.
Shifting to the opposition, the Bills head into Week 14 with records of 6-5-1 ATS and 6-6 SU. Over their last five games, the Bills have a SU record of 3-2 and a 3-1-1 record ATS. Buffalo yields excellent returns with its running attack, where its 140.9 rushing yards per game ranks fourth in the league. Moving on to the Buffalo defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Eagles. Buffalo’s top-five passing defense, allowing 58.4% of passes to be completed, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s passing game. To win, the Bills need to make the Eagles turn the ball over. The Eagles rank 30th in the league in turnovers with 1.9 per game. It shouldn’t be too hard for the Bills to start fast this week with Philadelphia’s defense allowing 5.4 points in the first quarter of home games. In home games, Philadelphia has an average time of possession of 28:51, placing at a rank of 28th in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Buf, ATS Winner – Buf, O/U – Under
Notes
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 5 games.
Philadelphia is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home.
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Buffalo.
Buffalo is 5-1 SU this season, when leading at the half. Philadelphia is 3-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Interestingly, Buffalo is winless (0-5 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (5-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Philadelphia has drawn an average of 8.1 penalties on opponents this season. Buffalo is only 2-5 SU when penalized eight or more times in a game.
The Philadelphia rushing attack is ranked 12th in the league, while the Buffalo run defense is only ranked 14th. The Bills’ rushing game is ranked fourth, compared to the 27th-ranked run defense of the Eagles.
