>The Buffalo Bills have a forecast 58% chance to win against The New Orleans Saints with a spread of -9.0/9.0 and an over/under of 42.0. The Buffalo Bills are 0 – 0 against The New Orleans Saints in the 2021-22 Season.
— Thursday, November 25th Buffalo Bills @ New Orleans Saints
The third and final Thanksgiving Day game of 2021 features two teams headed in the wrong direction in the playoff picture. After a great start, the Buffalo Bills (6-4) have struggled the last month and fallen out of first in the AFC East, while the New Orleans Saints (5-5) have lost three in a row and are tied for the final spot in the NFC. The kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and the game will air on NFL Network.
These teams rarely meet, and the last time they played in New Orleans was in 2013. The Saints won in Buffalo 47-10 in 2017 and beat the Bills at home 35-17 in the 2013 contest. Overall they lead the series 7-4 and haven’t lost to Buffalo since 1998.
Buffalo Searching For Consistency
Through the first seven games of the season, the Bills looked like the team to beat in the NFL, and Josh Allen was clearing space on the mantle for an MVP trophy. From Week 2 to Week 6, they scored at least 26 points in every game and went 35 or more four times. But since then, they have lost twice, scoring a total of 21 points in those losses to Jacksonville and Indianapolis.
The run game has let the Bills down with their two running backs averaging 68 yards per game. Devin Singletary leads the team with 415 yards and two touchdowns, while Zack Moss has 265 yards and four scores. Allen has the highest YPC on the team at 5.6 and has 340 yards to go with three scores.
Allen has thrown 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season while completing 66 percent of his passes for 2,811 yards. Stefon Diggs is the top weapon with 60 catches for 773 yards and six touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders has four touchdowns and 531 yards, while tight end Dawson Knox has five touchdowns.
Buffalo’s defense led the league in fewest points allowed going into Week 11 before they gave up 41 to the Colts. They won’t face a running attack this week as they did with Jonathan Taylor but still look for signs of improvement. The Bills have 15 interceptions on the season, tied for second-most in the NFL.
New Orleans Desperate for a Win
The last time the Saints lost three in a row was in 2016. They are without starting quarterback Jameis Winston, and Trevor Siemian has struggled so far with a 56.9 percent completion rate. Siemian threw two interceptions at Philadelphia last week, and one was returned for a touchdown.
Running back Alvin Kamara will miss a third straight game with a knee injury, and the Saints have Mark Ingram II as questionable. If Ingram can’t go, the Saints will have to rely on little-used pro Tony Jones Jr., former wide receiver Ty Montgomery and third-string quarterback Taysom Hill in the run game. Ingram has 205 yards in four games since joining the Saints, while Jones has 79 yards on the season, Montgomery has 13, and Hill 104.
The Saints’ defense may need to carry them in this game. Marshon Lattimore will likely cover Stefon Diggs all game and can shut down the Bills top wideout. New Orleans has 11 interceptions and 23 sacks on the season, and they need a bounce-back game after losing to the Eagles last Sunday and allowing 242 rushing yards.
Betting Analysis
- Buffalo Bills -6 (-110). -270 Money Line
- New Orleans Saints +6 (-110). +220 Money Line
- Total Points: 45. Over -110. Under -110
The Saints will have a loud crowd on their side and will need some turnovers to stay in this game and have a chance down the stretch. They play Dallas next week and have a Week 15 trip to Tampa Bay looming, so they need to pile up some wins. Buffalo has the better team, though, and they are healthier and won’t show any mercy to the holiday hosts.
Betting Pick: Bills -6 (-110)
Keep up with your latest NFL news coverage and betting pick previews at NJSportsbookReview.com.