The Buffalo Bills have reached double-digit victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-99. They captured a Wild Card spot after going 10-6 last year but squandered a 16-point lead and suffered a 22-19 overtime loss in Houston. After winning their first division title in 25 years, the Bills (13-3) will hope for a better result when they host the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Wild Card matchup on Saturday. Kickoff from Bills Stadium is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.
Indianapolis (11-5) was unable to take the AFC South but earned a postseason berth with a 28-14 home win over Jacksonville. Buffalo is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Bills vs. Colts odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 51.5. Before locking in any Colts vs. Bills picks or NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine's resident Colts expert, R.J. White, has to say.
CBS Sports' fantasy and gambling editor, White enters the playoffs on a sizzling 76-52-5 run. It's no surprise, as White twice has cashed huge in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.
In addition, White has gone an astounding 30-17-2 on his last 49 NFL picks involving Indianapolis. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has locked in on Bills vs. Colts from every angle and released another confident against-the-spread pick. You can visit SportsLine now to see it. Here are several NFL odds and trends for Colts vs. Bills:
- Bills vs. Colts spread: Buffalo -6.5
- Bills vs. Colts over-under: 51.5 points
- Bills vs. Colts money line: Buffalo -290, Indianapolis +245
- BUF: Bills are 8-0 against the spread in their last eight games
- IND: Colts are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven road playoff games
Why the Bills can cover
Buffalo has caused problems for opposing defenses, finishing the regular season second in scoring (31.3 points) and total offense (396.4 yards) while ranking third in passing (288.8). The Bills produced at least 30 points in six of their final eight contests and outscored their opponents 229-110 during their season-ending six-game winning streak.
Quarterback Josh Allen played just one half in the 56-26 win over Miami in Week 17 but still threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns to complete the season with career-highs of 4,544 and 37, respectively.
Allen, who led Buffalo with eight rushing TDs, set the franchise-record for passing yards in a season, eclipsing the previous mark of 4,359 by Drew Bledsoe in 2002. Allen's favorite target was newcomer Stefon Diggs, who led the league in receptions (127) and yards (1,535) while ranking second in yards per game (95.9). The 27-year-old topped the Bills with eight touchdown catches.
Why the Colts can cover
Quarterback Philip Rivers has accomplished one of the goals he had when he signed with Indianapolis last March after 16 years with the Chargers: qualify for the playoffs. The 39-year-old helped the cause by throwing for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns, reaching the 4,000-yard plateau for the eighth consecutive season and 12th time in his career.
Rivers is no stranger to the postseason, as he recorded 2,656 yards with 14 TDs and 10 interceptions in 11 playoff contests with the Chargers, winning five.
Rivers was aided offensively by running back Jonathan Taylor, who was third in the NFL with 1,169 rushing yards and ran for 11 touchdowns in 15 contests. The 21-year-old rookie from the University of Wisconsin gained 253 yards in the season-finale, tying DeMarco Murray (Oct. 23, 2011) for second-most by a rookie, and ninth by any player, in NFL history.
How to make Bills vs. Colts picks
White has analyzed this matchup and while he's leaning Over, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing it here.
So who wins Bills vs. Colts in the 2021 NFL playoffs? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Colts vs. Bills spread you should jump on Saturday, all from the NFL expert who's 30-17-2 on picks involving Indianapolis, and find out.
