The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills will face off in Week 1 of the NFL season on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is set for in 8:20 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. The game will broadcast live on NBC.
The Ravens are 1-point favorites over the Bills on the spread (Ravens -1), with the over/under set at 50.5 total points. Baltimore is a -120 favorite to win outright, while Buffalo is +100 to pull off the upset.
If you like quarterback play, you're not going to find a better Week 1 matchup than a battle between the past two MVP winners with Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen set to meet in primetime. Let's get into my Ravens vs. Bills predictions and NFL picks for Sunday, September 7.
Ravens vs Bills Prediction
- Ravens vs Bills pick: Mark Andrews Anytime Touchdown (+190)
My Bills vs. Ravens best bet is on Mark Andrews to score a touchdown, with the best price currently available at BetMGM. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Ravens vs Bills Odds
| Ravens Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
| Bills Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | +100 |
Ravens vs Bills Sunday Night Football Week 1 Preview
The Ravens return to the scene of the crime in Orchard Park, where they saw their 2024 season end in devastating fashion.
These are two teams that have had as much regular-season success as any in recent seasons, but have yet to break through to the Super Bowl, primarily due to that red and white Midwest team known as the Chiefs.
Speaking of Super Bowls, while it's only the first week of a long season, this game could play a huge role in playoff positioning and consequently each team's Super Bowl odds. The winner of this game will have a leg up in the race for the highly coveted No. 1 seed (along with the sole bye and home-field advantage) in the AFC among the heavyweights.
As of this moment, I believe Baltimore has the most complete roster in the NFL. As a result, I do have them power rated No. 1 in the league — but the Bills aren't too far behind.
There are no real positional weaknesses. My biggest concern for Buffalo is overall roster health following a fairly injury-free season.
Can Baltimore avoid the dreaded injury bug in 2025? That's a major storyline.
While the Ravens' overall team depth is strong, a few positional groups remain a bit thin, and they are already starting off the year without Isaiah Likely and Patrick Ricard.
One of those positions of concern is safety following the loss of Ar'Darius Washington to a season-ending Achilles injury.
Baltimore will need first-round draft pick Malaki Starks to contribute right off the bat, and hopefully won't need to dip into its depth on the backend. Also, how many healthy games from the oft-injured Jaire Alexander will the Ravens get at cornerback?
If the backend can stay healthy, this is one of the better secondaries in the league, especially after what we saw in the second half of last season after some key schematic, communication and positional changes.
Speaking of secondaries, when comparing these two rosters, that's where Baltimore has an edge on paper with a group filled with former first-round picks.
Meanwhile, the Bills have question marks across the board regarding a defensive backfield that has ultimately cost them in the biggest games on the board.
Josh Allen and the Bills' offense have not been the problem in the postseason.
Buffalo's defense likely won't be able to rely on takeaways (and a gaudy +24 turnover margin) again in 2025, so head coach Sean McDermott will need better play in the secondary if Buffalo wants to take that next step, even with improved depth along the defensive line.
Can Cole Bishop help alleviate some of the issues Buffalo has had at safety? And at cornerback, the story is even murkier, especially headed into Week 1 with first-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston on IR and 30-year-old Tre'Davious White (Out) dealing with an injury.
The Bills hope for a bounce-back season from the usually reliable Taron Johnson at nickel and that Christian Benford (active) doesn't have any lingering issues with his groin.
This group is likely the one that will determine if Buffalo can finally make that elusive Super Bowl appearance, and the second corner headed into this game is a major question mark against one of the league's top quarterbacks.
Ravens vs Bills Prediction, Betting Analysis
I don't see any value in the spread, which has flipped to the Ravens as small favorites following Buffalo injury news in the secondary and at wide receiver.
Buffalo has only lost twice at home over the past three regular seasons, but Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has excelled in these Week 1 matchups (12-5 ATS).
If you made me pick who wins this game, I'd go with the Ravens, who I'll be looking to back live if Josh Allen and his "everybody eats" offense jumps out to an early lead in front of a raucous crowd in western New York.
I think Mark Andrews' Anytime TD is worth a flier around +200 for three reasons:
- Plus-matchup against a defense that could struggle to contain opposing tight ends, especially now that they might have to help more on the outside with cornerback injuries.
- Isaiah Likely injury.
- Narrative: I'm sure the Ravens want to get Andrews in the end zone after his late fumble in last year's playoff loss to Buffalo.
Pick: Mark Andrews Anytime Touchdown (+190)
Spread
I'm not betting either side of the spread in this matchup as I see no value.
Moneyline
I slightly lean toward the Baltimore moneyline, but ultimately I am staying away.
Over/Under
I will also be staying away from the total in tonight's contest.
