The Detroit Lions (1-0) and Buffalo Bills (1-0) look to continue their strong starts to the 2026 season when they clash on Thursday Night Football in the first NFL game at the new Highmark Stadium in upstate New York.
Both the Lions and Bills rode high offensive outputs to Week 1 wins. Buffalo opened its season with a 37-31 road win over the Houston Texans, while the Lions prevailed in a 31-30 overtime bout
against the New Orleans Saints.For the Lions, the win is a positive result after a 2025 season of diminished returns. Still, the Lions failed to cover the spread against the Saints -- and 30 points allowed isn't exactly a glowing endorsement of the Detroit defense for the rest of 2026. Josh Allen is a significant step above Tyler Shough at
quarterback, so the Lions will need to make some adjustments for Week 2.
It wasn't smooth sailing for the Buffalo defense, either. C.J. Stroud and the Texans gave the Bills some trouble, and the Lions boast some formidable playmakers. The Bills opened up as field-goal favorites but are now getting as many as 4.5 points at some sportsbooks, while the Lions are approaching +200 on the moneyline.
Unsurprisingly, the point total is set well above the 50-point threshold, reaching 53.5 at some shops. After a Week 1 that saw a historic scoring pace, will offenses continue their breakneck pace? Or will defenses find their tune and regress scoring back to the mean? This NFL Week 2 opening clash could set that tone.
Bills vs Lions odds, moneyline, over/under
Opening lines:
- Spread: Bills -3
- Moneyline: Bills -165; Lions +140
- Total: 52.5
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Lions at Bills score predictions
Adam Kaufman: Bills 34, Lions 30
While the Bills and Lions are known for their offenses, each also allowed at least 30 points in a heart-stopping Week 1. Buffalo's run defense was horrific last season and remained vulnerable against Houston, so expect Offensive Player of the Year favorite Jahmyr Gibbs to pick up where he left off and sprint all over the new field in Buffalo. Former MVP Josh Allen will have the last laugh at home, though. With Detroit's injury-ravaged secondary on the other side, we just watched Tyler Shough pass for 410 yards. Imagine what Allen and DJ Moore might do. Gimme the Bills in a shootout.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Bills 38, Lions 31
The league's No. 4 and 5 scoring operations from last year go about things in different ways, but the end result still produces plenty of fireworks for each. Squaring off against Josh Allen and the Bills' newly discovered vertical passing attack constitutes a nightmare matchup for the shorthanded Lions secondary. Detroit can at least keep things close by stretching a work-in-progress Buffalo defense over the middle and handing another heavy workload to Jahmyr Gibbs, but the Bills ultimately might be too difficult to keep pace with.
Nate Davis: Bills 30, Lions 23
Neither one of these teams showed up with a defense in Week 1, but both emerged victorious anyway. I'm more concerned about that from the Lions' perspective as they hit the road with their starting safeties still on the PUP list and just days after Saints QB Tyler Shough lit up Detroit for 410 passing yards. Expecting several – successful – Josh Allen deep shots to punctuate a rousing debut of the Bills' fabulous new Highmark Stadium.
Richard Morin: Lions 26, Bills 24
It's a new chapter for the Bills at Orchard Park, but it won't be a fairytale beginning for the new Highmark Stadium. Both teams looked suspect on defense in Week 1, and while I don't expect these two teams to put up quite as many points, I think the Bills will find themselves exposed just a bit more than the Lions. In addition to taking the under, I'm also taking the Lions as straight-up winners and to spoil the Bills' maiden voyage in their new storm. Tables will be broken, but it will be for all the wrong reasons.
Where to watch Lions at Bills
- Matchup: Bills vs. Lions
- Date: Sept. 17
- Time: 8:15 p.m.
- Venue: Highmark Stadium
- Location: Thursday Night Football, New York
- TV: Amazon Prime Video
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lions at Bills: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 2 game
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