Week three of the NFL Preseason is usually the week that most closely resembles the regular season opener. There are a number of NFL teams that will still be keeping their starters out the entire preseason, but you should expect to see some more regulars this week. The Detroit Lions are hosting the Buffalo Bills on Friday night in a matchup of teams who are looking to have much better seasons in 2019.
The Buffalo Bills are off to a 2-0 start so far this preseason, and they have looked very good in all aspects of their game. Buffalo has earned wins over the Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers and will be looking to move to 3-0. Detroit has yet to win a preseason game, and they have struggled a bit. The Lions suffered a blowout loss to the New England Patriots before losing a close game to the Houston Texans. Buffalo is a -2.0 point favorite over the Lions on Friday night.
Lions Defense Needs to Step Up
If the Detroit Lions are going to make a jump in the standings in 2019, then their defense is going to have to play better. The Lions have struggled to get stops on defense in the preseason, and are allowing 30.5 points per game through two weeks. Defensive tackle “Snacks” Harrison was just signed to a contract extension, and he is expected to be a team leader this season. The Lions play in a division that has terrific offensive teams, and they might be in for a long year.
Detroit is averaging just 16 points per game so far in the preseason, but their best offensive players have not been on the field. Quarterback Matthew Stafford should put up monster numbers again in 2019 as long as his offensive line gives him time to throw the ball. Stafford is consistently throwing for more than 4,000 yards per season, and he has a few new weapons this season. The Detroit offense will be fine once the regular season begins.
Bills Finding Plenty of Offense
The Buffalo Bills were the worst offensive team in the NFL a season ago, but they have looked much better in the preseason. The Bills are averaging 25.5 points per game through two games, despite having plenty of young players on their roster. Josh Allen went 9-11 for 102 yards in week two and had the Bills offense rolling a week ago. If Buffalo can score points on a regular basis this season, then they could be tough to beat.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds led the team with 121 tackles a season ago and is one of the rising defensive stars in the league. The Bills had over 2.5 sacks per game during the 2018 regular season, and that number could go up this season. Buffalo will bring a ton of pressure in this game, in hopes of forcing the Lions into some mistakes. The Bills defense has been carrying the team in recent seasons and should do the same this year.
Lions Get First Preseason Win
Buffalo has looked sharp through their first two preseason games, but they still have plenty of questions marks. The Detroit Lions will likely play their starters a few more minutes in this game, and that should help them get their first preseason victory. This should be a highly competitive game, but take the +2.0 points and bet the Detroit Lions over the Buffalo Bills.
