NFL Betting :
Patriots will keep Bills at bay

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park
Football : United States : NFL
Sunday, December 20th 2009 – Kickoff 1:00 PM ET

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Sports Betting Line : Patriots -6.5
Review Over/Under Odds : 41

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If you listen to the pundits, you may get the idea that the Patriots dynasty is crumbling right before our very eyes. With only a one game lead in the AFC East, there is a real fear that the Pats may miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

But I refuse to believe their dynasty is crumbling. Yes, they may be facing some real adversity, but New England is still an incredibly talented team that nobody should look forward to playing in the post season (a post season they will surely make). A big win over a divisional rival on the road should confirm that.

The Bills have gone a respectable 2-2 under new head coach Perry Fewell. Although it’s pretty much a given Fewell won’t be the head coach next season, Bills fans have some reason to be happy, given the way the team has responded to the coaching change.

But that’s about all Bills fans have to be happy about. Buffalo seems destined for another last place finish, and face a Patriots team they’ve lost to twelve straight times.

What The Patriots Have To Do To Win

The Patriots may need to thoroughly hammer the Bills in order to silence some of their critics. In order to do so they’ll have to be huge on the ground, since Buffalo boasts one of the most improved secondary’s in the league.

Luckily for the Patriots their running game has been an incredibly improved aspect of the team. Last week New England ran for 187 yards as a team against a pretty good Jacksonville defense.

Lawrence Maroney got the bulk of the yardage (94 yards on 22 carries), and the continuation of his hot streak is critical to the Patriots continued success.

What The Bills Have To Do To Win :

Sports wagering fans may have a tough time believing it, but the Bills may have the most explosive secondary in the NFL.

Yes, you read that right. This season the Bills have 25 interceptions, most in the league. A lot of this has to do with the emergence of rookie safety Jairus Byrd, who leads the NFL with nine interceptions.

Playing a Patriots team that features Randy Moss and Wes Welker won’t be easy for the young Bills secondary, but it’s not impossible to believe an impact can be made. A ball-hawking secondary may be the only way the Bills can come out on top.

Outlook & Pick

The Patriots are the Patriots and the Bills are the Bills. Despite the game being played in Orchard Park, New England shouldn’t have much trouble winning.

The Patriots have been such a consistently amazing franchise that people will jump on any little crack they may see and overhype it to death. This week it was the “Randy Moss late to practice” bandwagon, and good money says another one will pop up before the seasons’ end.

The Bills may have some improved facets in their game, but they are still not talented enough to win.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Patriots 24, Bills 14

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Go Under the 41 points total

HANDICAP BETTING :

Take New England -6.5 to win and cover the spread. (main bet)