The Detroit Lions (1-0) are on the road in Week 2, heading to Buffalo to take on the Bills (1-0) on “Thursday Night Football.” This looks like it will be one of the most exciting games of the week in the NFL, as not only is it a nationally televised game, but it marks the opening of the Bills’ new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium.
Both teams opened their seasons with a win, as the Lions beat the Saints 31-30 in overtime and the Bills knocked off the Texans 36-31 in a back-and-forth battle in Houston.
The folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook have set the opening betting line at Lions +3.5 points.
Despite having a winning record and making the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons with the Bills, Sean McDermott was fired after the Bills lost in the AFC Divisional round in 2025. With ownership liking where the team was, but also feeling McDermott couldn’t get them to the Super Bowl, the Bills elected to stay in-house for their new hire, promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach.
The Bills offense stayed intact and was arguably upgraded following the trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore, who was with Brady in Carolina, while the defense went through an offseason shakeup as new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard installed a 3-4 defense. To help with the transition, the Bills targeted edge rushers Bradley Chubb in free agency and TJ Parker in the NFL Draft, while also adding veterans to their secondary, putting safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and nickel corner Dee Alford in starting roles.
In Week 1, the Bills were able to win a shootout behind the arm and legs of quarterback Josh Allen. The defense gave up more ground (and points) than they’d prefer, but the Bills have a lot of firepower on offense that should help them stay in every game. With the Lions coming to town, they’ll need to keep the offense rolling, as even in an off game, the Lions have shown they can put up points.
The Lions and Bills will square off on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The game is nationally televised on Amazon Prime.
