Bills (8-6) at Chargers (5-9)
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California TV: Peacock
Spread (BetMGM):
Bills by 11.5
Bills’ keys to victory: RB James Cook is coming off a 179yard rushing performance, so Buffalo needs to continue to ride the hot hand. The Chargers have allowed an average of 126 rushing yards in their last three games. QB Josh Allen didn’t throw the ball much against the Cowboys in Week 15, but he should have success facing a Los Angeles defense that’s allowing 261.4 passing yards per game. Defensively, more pressure, more diamonds. The Bills are near the top of the league in sacks, while the Chargers have allowed nine in their past two games.
Chargers’ keys to victory: Offensively, the protection needs to be solid for QB Easton Stick, who is making his second NFL start. Even though the Bills’ pass defense has been stout, they have struggled against receiving running backs, as they’ve allowed the fourth-most yards to players at the position. This means a heavy dose of RB Austin Ekeler in the passing game. The defensive line needs to be stout at the point of attack; linebackers need to fill the gaps to contain Cook. The secondary has to be sticky against WR Stefon Diggs.
Matchup to watch: Bills head coach Sean McDermott vs. Chargers interim head coach Giff Smith. Smith, the interim head coach after Brandon Staley was fired last week, has had success with LA’s defensive line and outside linebackers, but how will he be overseeing the whole team?
Who wins? The Bills are playing for a playoff spot. The Chargers should play hard under their new head coach, but Buffalo should dominate on both sides of the ball.
Bills, 30-13
Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire