The Buffalo Bills eliminated a tough Jacksonville Jaguars team in the Wild Card Round to earn a date with the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Josh Allen — who else? — lifted the Bills with an efficient passing performance (28-for-35 for 273 yards and one touchdown) while also operating as the team's RB2 (11 rushes for 33 yards and two touchdowns). Up next is the AFC's 1-seed in a rematch from last year's Wild Card Round.
Here are opening Bills vs Broncos odds for the NFL Divisional Round .
Bills vs Broncos Odds
| Bills Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 47.5 -105o / -115u | -126 |
| Broncos Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 47.5 -105o / -115u | +108 |
Buffalo Bills Preview
The Bills are back in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, but this season hasn’t felt the same.
It’s the first time since 2019 they haven't won the division, and after splitting games with the Patriots, the Bills are on the road throughout the playoffs. They started on a positive note, defeating the Jaguars in the Wild Card Round.
Josh Allen had a bit of a down year, by his standards, but remains as dangerous as any quarterback in the NFL. Buffalo doesn’t have many dangerous targets for Allen to throw to, though tight end Dalton Kincaid has emerged as his most important weapon.
Really, though, it’s Buffalo’s power run game, led by rushing champion James Cook, that has defined the Bills’ season. Allen hasn’t played like the MVP this season in part because he hasn’t had to. Instead, he’s been able to hand the ball off and let his running back cook much of the time.
Buffalo’s defense is a major issue, though. The Bills are by far the worst playoff team against the run and could be very matchup-dependent game to game.
Sean McDermott’s defense has let Allen and the offense down time and again in the playoffs. Will this new offensive formula finally get Allen to the Super Bowl against a depleted AFC field?
Denver Broncos Preview
The Broncos started the season 1-2, but have lost only once since, and now the AFC road to the Super Bowl will go through Denver.
Denver’s identity starts with Vance Joseph’s defense, which leads most league metrics in pressures and does an excellent job limiting explosive plays. But that defense ranks near the bottom of the league in takeaways, and it’s faded from great to good — or even just above average — over the back half of the season, especially against the pass.
But Denver’s offense has risen, right as the defense has faded, with Bo Nix rebounding from a terrible start to the season for a strong second half. Sean Payton’s offense actually ranks in the top quarter of the league by DVOA over the final third of the season, both rushing and passing, and Denver has become a much more balanced team.
Is that a winning formula for the Broncos? That remains to be seen.
Will Payton trust Nix in the biggest moments of the playoffs, and will Nix prove worthy of that trust? Is this still an elite Denver defense, and is home-field advantage enough in the AFC?
