Colts vs. Bills Betting Line – Week 1 NFL
Carrie Stroup here with your Colts vs. Bills betting line for Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season. Sportsbook.ag Line: Indianapolis -3, Total: 46
Andrew Luck brings his arsenal of new, albeit aging, toys north on Sunday as his Colts meet the Bills led by off-season acquisition LeSean McCoy.
Inianapolis is a trendy Super Bowl pick and with the addition of some Hall of Fame-caliber veterans, it's easy to see why. Former 49ers RB Frank Gore is reunited with his teammate from Miami and former Texans WR Andre Johnson. The seasoned duo will join an already formidable offensive unit containing T.Y. Hilton and MVP candidate Andrew Luck.
Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor is the latest in the long line of offensively challenged quarterbacks to take the field for this franchise that welcomed in new head coach Rex Ryan. He'll oversee an already stout defensive unit, as Buffalo led the NFL in sacks (54)
These clubs haven’t faced each other since Luck’s rookie season of 2012 when Indy downed Buffalo 20-13. Luck was very average in that contest; completing just 54% of his passes while throwing for 1 TD and 1 INT. The Colts are 8-1 ATS since 2013 when the total is between 42.5 and 49, as well as being 25-11 ATS as a road favorite of three points or less since 1992. Indy is also 6-0 ATS when it allows 75 to 100 rushing yards over the past two seasons while Buffalo has totaled between 75 and 100 rushing yards five times over that stretch.
The good news for Bills bettors is that they are 35-18 ATS in home games when they gain 300 to 350 total yards since 1992, and the Colts do not boast an elite defense. On the injury front, LeSean McCoy remains listed as Questionable for Sunday with a lingering hamstring issue while run-stuffing DT Marcell Dareus will miss the game serving a suspension. Hilton (concussion) is looking good for the matchup, as he's been upgraded to probable.
Luck led the Colts' offense to some impressive rankings in 2014 including the No. 1 passing offense, No. 3 total offense, and No. 6 scoring offense in the NFL. Luck was so good that Indy was one of two playoff teams to rank in the bottom 14 in the league in rushing offense, finishing 22nd (Arizona 31st). However, he will have his hands full this weekend in Orchard Park as the Bills bring back a defensive unit that finished top-5 in every major category last season. Luck has also faced off against new Bills head coach Rex Ryan just one time in his career, a 35-9 Jets victory in 2012. In that matchup Luck threw for 280 yards, but completed only half his passes with 0 TD and 2 INT. That was one of just two games in Luck’s career that his offense didn’t score a touchdown, as he posted the 3rd-lowest passer rating (51.3) of his 48-game career.
New Bills RB LeSean McCoy will look to give the Bills the offensive punch they've been lacking for years and with the departure of Bills' legend Fred Jackson, McCoy will be the main man in Buffalo. Since 2010, McCoy's first year as a starter, no back in the league has as many rushing yards as his 6,155 and with Taylor under center; McCoy should have no shortage of opportunities. Taylor will frequently look for top WR Sammy Watkins and newcomer WR Percy Harvin and TE Charles Clay.
Defensively, this unit is in great shape. Last year it led the NFL in 3rd-down defense (33%) and only the Chiefs and Seahawks allowed fewer passing yards in the league.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
