Former Bills coach Sean McDermott may no longer be in Buffalo, but he’s still rooting for the franchise to reach the Super Bowl, something that he could not accomplish before his dismissal last January.
Appearing on "The Rich Eisen Show," McDermott predicted a Bills-Rams Super Bowl and said he continues to support his former team.
“Why wouldn’t I?” McDermott said when asked if he still roots for Buffalo. He pointed to the roster moves made by Brandon Beane and called the Bills one of the NFL’s top Super Bowl contenders.
Buffalo will get an early test of those credentials Sunday in Houston against a Texans defense that offensive tackle Spencer Brown considers the NFL’s best.
“Their defense is easily the top defense in the NFL, in my opinion,” Brown
said.
A road win would only amplify the Bills’ Super Bowl buzz, especially after New England already opened the season with a loss, giving Buffalo an opportunity to gain an early edge in the AFC East.
Watch Bills vs. xxx on Fubo (free trial)
Bills vs. Texans odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, September 11
- Moneyline: Bills -120 (bet $120 to win $100), Texans +100 (bet $100 to win $100).
- Spread: Bills by 1
- Over/under: 44.5
Not interested in this game? Our guide tobetting odds, picks and spreads has you covered.
Bills vs. Texans predictions, picks for NFL Week 1
Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Texans 24, Bills 20: This is a tough opening assignment for the Bills and it’s difficult to envision a victory given their ugly recent past in Houston. Yes, it’s a new season and nothing that happened in the past should matter, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Houston may have the best defense in the NFL. Until the Bills can prove they can handle that, on the road in NRG Stadium, the Texans are the pick to spoil Joe Brady’s debut.
Iain MacMillan, Sports Illustrated
Take the over: The Bills have added some key offensive pieces this offseason, most notably DJ Moore at wide receiver. On the other side of the ball, they're going to look extremely different with the likes of Matt Milano and Taron Johnson gone, while adding plenty of young pieces. The jury is out on whether or not that's going to make their defense better, but I think it's going to take them a few weeks to hit their stride. Meanwhile, I think the Bills' offense is going to look as explosive as ever. The Texans' offense is going to be healthy, and I expect them to surprise some people and be more effective than some bettors assume.
Frank Schwab, yahoo!sports
Texans +1: Any good NFL defense has some level of physicality to it. Not many are as violent as the Houston Texans, however. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen knows this well. He was sacked a career-high eight times in a 23-19 loss to the Texans last season. It's rare to see Allen not in control, but it was the Texans defense that took over that game. The Bills are my pick to win the AFC, but this is a tough matchup for them (and also, it wouldn't surprise me if the Texans are like the 2015 Broncos and ride a great defense to the Super Bowl).
Jeremy Cluff, AZ Central
Bills 23, Texans 20: Could this be the game of the week? It had the smallest point spread in early odds, with the Bills favored by a point on the road at Houston. Josh Allen will deliver late.
Bills vs vs. Texans time, TV channel today
- Kickoff time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: CBS
- Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills vs Texans predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 1 NFL game?
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