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The Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers will square off in their final preseason tuneup in Carolina on Friday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our Bills-Panthers prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Buffalo Bills are in a position to be one of the better teams in the NFL for the next decade or so. Buffalo won the AFC East with an 11-6 record in 2021 before losing to Kansas City in the Divisional Round. Quarterback Josh Allen is one of the brightest young stars in the league.
Carolina, after a 5-12 record in 2021, will enter the 2022 season with a new starting quarterback. No longer is Sam Darnold tasked with leading the offense, but instead, Baker Mayfield will take the reigns. Head coach Matt Rhule needs production from Mayfield in order to preserve his job.
Here are the Bills-Panthers NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2022 NFL Preseason Odds: Bills-Panthers Odds
Buffalo Bills: +6.5 (-110)
Carolina Panthers: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 39.5 (-115)
Under: 39.5 (-105)
Why The Bills Could Cover The Spread
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As we mentioned above, have you seen who plays quarterback for this team? Josh Allen, he of the rocket right arm, is back to be the signal-caller for Buffalo. Allen threw for 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, adding 763 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Buffalo, in addition to Allen, has a three-headed monster in their backfield. Devin Singletary, who led the team with 870 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, and Zack Moss, who totaled 345 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, are back after forming a strong duo last season. Entering the fold in 2022 is rookie James Cook, the team's second-round pick from Georgia. Stefon Diggs, a favorite target of Allen, is back after totaling 1,225 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches. Tight end Dawson Knox and OJ Howard provide safety blankets for Allen.
Buffalo was the best defensive team last season, allowing just 17 points per game, the lowest average in the NFL. Last year's leading tackler Tremaine Edmunds is back, as well as defensive back Jordan Poyer. Buffalo picked off 19 passes and sacked opponents 42 times last season. Kaiir Elam, drafted in the first round in 2022, will look to add to an already strong secondary.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The new look offense for Carolina is headlined by quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was a decent option for Cleveland, but may not have exactly lived up to the hype of being the first overall pick. Still, Mayfield has tossed 92 touchdowns to 56 interceptions in his 60 career games. Mayfield will take his chances, sometimes they pay off, and sometimes they do not. DJ Moore, the only Panthers receiver to reach over 1,000 receiving yards, is back to provide a target for Mayfield. Last year's leading rusher Chuba Hubbard returns, although he will ideally play less of a role behind a healthy Christian McCaffrey. The offense averaged just 17.9 points per game in 2021, the 29th-best total in the league.
Carolina's defense also struggled, allowing 23.8 points per game, ranking 23rd in the league last season. The team registered 39 sacks last season, a decent mark for a team that struggled. Brian Burns returns after registering nine sacks last season. Last year's leading tackler, safety Jeremy Chinn, also returns to anchor the defensive secondary.
Finals Bills-Panthers Prediction & Pick
This should be a pretty easy choice.
Finals Bills-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Buffalo – 6.5 (-110), over 39.5 (-115)
