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NFL

Bills look to remain hot in AFC playoff opener against Colts

Buffalo looks to end a 25-year drought without a playoff win when Philip Rivers and Indianapolis visits Orchard Park on Saturday.

By Kevin Cooney Content provided by Fox Bet. Fox Bet was developed by a division of Flutter Entertainment in partnership with Fox Sports, a unit of Fox Corporation. Fox Bet is solely responsible for this content and the products and services it provides.
Published

A few weeks ago, the Buffalo Bills sent out a social media "hype video" to commemorate the club’s AFC East championship. It featured former standout special teams performer Steve Tasker, smoking a cigar and issuing a warning to those who would end the dream ride for Bills Mafia.

"We’ll see you in January in Buffalo," Tasker says as he looks into the camera. "Better bring a jacket. Might be chilly."

The weather is the only thing that is chilled in Western New York right now. The Bills- lead by MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen-  have been the hottest team in the AFC heading into the playoffs. And it will be up to Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts to try to stop them on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) in the AFC wild-card round at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.

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The sports betting information

On FOXBet.com Sportsbook, the Bills are 6 ½ point favorites with a -300 money line. (A wager of $300 would be needed to win $100.) The Colts are +245 on the money line – a $100 bet would turn a $245 victory if the Colts win the game. The over/under is 52 points.

Buffalo was 11-5 against the spread in 2020 – which tied for best mark in the NFL with Miami. Indianapolis was 8-8.

There are plenty of CustomBets, PropBets and other wagers available at FOXBet.com to suit any betters wishes. Check it out today and find the special offers that are in play for this holiday weekend.

The history

This is the first meeting between the two teams since the 2018 regular season. In that game, Andrew Luck threw four touchdown passes while the Bills offense committed five turnovers in a 37-5 Indianapolis rout. Overall, Buffalo leads the series 37-32-1 – both teams shared the AFC East for years. This is the first playoff meeting between the two teams.

The storylines to watch

Allen has become one of the biggest stars in the league, throwing for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns. Allen also rushed for 421 yards and eight touchdowns this year while catching one touchdown passes in Brian Daboll’s creative offense. Buffalo’s best receiver has been Stefon Diggs, who had the most receptions in the league this year with 127 catches and 1,535 yards and eight scores. The Bills could be without Cole Beasley, who was injured in Week 16 against the Patriots and has become effective in the slot role.

The Colts are a strange group to figure out. They have looked dominant in wins on the road at Tennessee and a  home against Green Bay. They have also been shaky – losing to the Jaguars early and blowing a 17 point lead to the Steelers two weeks ago. At 39, Rivers had a solid season- 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions- while Indianapolis ground things with Jonathan Taylor – 1,169 yards, 11 touchdowns. The biggest thing for the Colts could be to avoid the early knockout punch, which is what Buffalo has done in recent weeks to both New England and Miami.