Two of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses are meeting under the Thursday night lights in Week 2, and the setup points to a scoreboard that keeps moving. The Buffalo Bills are hosting the Detroit Lions, with Josh Allen and Jared Goff headlining a matchup that already carries the feel of a shootout.
Buffalo comes in after a comeback win over the Houston Texans, a game in which the Bills hung 36 points on a defense that ranked No. 1 in the league in EPA/Play in 2025. Allen was central to it all, throwing two touchdown passes and adding two more on the ground. He looks every bit like the MVP favorite, and another big performance is firmly on the table.
Detroit’s path to 1-0 looked a lot messier. The Lions let Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints pile up more than 400 passing yards in Week 1, then nearly gave away a double-digit lead before escaping with an overtime win. Jahmyr Gibbs carried the offense with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but the concerns on the back end remain real with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the PUP list.
That’s part of why the Bills opened as 3-point favorites and have since climbed to 4.5-point favorites at home. The total is the highest on the Week 2 board, and it’s easy to see why when both teams were involved in explosive openers - Detroit’s game produced 61 points, while Buffalo’s produced 67.
SI Betting senior editor Iain MacMillan leaned toward the Lions in his Road to 272 column, saying:
"As tempting as it is to back the Bills after how both teams looked in the opening week, I have to do my best not to overreact to a one-game sample size and stick to my belief that the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL. Their metrics were elite last season, but injuries and poor variance led to them missing the playoffs."
He also pointed to Buffalo’s defensive issues after Week 1:
"There's no denying that Josh Allen is once again going to be an MVP candidate, but let's not overlook the fact that their defense allowed the Texans to rack up yards and points against them last week. Their defensive roster is completely different from a year ago, so I didn't know what to expect from them this season, but ranking 19th in opponent EPA per play and 22nd in opponent success rate isn't a good start."
Even with that, MacMillan still sees a real path for Buffalo to win outright, noting Detroit’s shaky showing against the Saints and the way the Lions nearly let that game slip away. But with the spread now sitting well beyond a field goal, he believes there’s value with Detroit getting the points.
The one thing that stands out most here is the pace of the scoring. Both defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league in EPA/Play in Week 1, and Detroit’s offense has enough firepower to keep this game moving. Gibbs is the engine, and the Lions have already shown they can put up points - especially after David Montgomery scored multiple times against Buffalo in Week 1.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Lions Face A Prime-Time Problem As Jahmyr Gibbs Heads To Buffalo
The Lions are heading into a short week with a little less stability up front than they probably wanted. Detroit visits Buffalo on Thursday night in Week 2, and the matchup comes with both teams sitting at 1-0 after opening wins, the Bills over Houston and the Lions in overtime against New Orleans. It will also be Buffalos home opener at the new Highmark Stadium, with the game set for Prime Video, which gives the stage an early-season feel before either side has much time to settle in.
For Detroit, the bigger concern may be how it handles the trenches without starting left guard Christian Mahogany and right tackle Blake Miller, both out because of injuries. That puts even more attention on a Lions offense that is already expected to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs, especially in a game that could turn physical quickly under the lights in Buffalo. Prime-time road games are one thing when a line is intact, and another when the protection and run-game pieces are already shifting before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Could Catch A Break In Buffalo's First Outdoor Test
The Lions are heading into one of the more interesting road setups on their schedule, with Buffalo set to host them at the Bills new Highmark Stadium, a building that still does not have a roof. Forecast rain before kickoff could turn the surface slick and make this as much a test of footing and ball security as it is of talent, which is exactly the kind of wrinkle that can change how both teams script their first few drives.
For Detroit, the weather could tilt the game away from a pure trench battle and toward a more pass-heavy approach if the ground game becomes harder to trust. Wet conditions always raise the stakes on exchanges, cuts and catches, and if the field plays fast but slippery, the Lions may have to lean on cleaner operation through the air while both sides try to avoid the kind of mistakes that rain can manufacture. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Stars Got Snubbed After Putting Detroit In The Spotlight
Week 1 put Detroit in the national spotlight in more ways than one, and the Lions had more than enough star power to earn some leaguewide recognition. Jahmyr Gibbs was electric on the ground for Detroit, piling up 156 yards and two touchdowns, while Aidan Hutchinson kept making his presence felt on defense as the Lions opened the season with a performance that looked every bit like a team built to matter.
The weekly awards, though, went elsewhere. Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week over Gibbs after rushing for 124 yards and three touchdowns, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun took Defensive Player of the Week ahead of Hutchinson. It leaves Detroit with the kind of early-season slight that tends to stick in a locker room, especially when the production was right there for everyone to see. [Read more 🡒]