NFL
NFL week 9 preview: Bills defence should prove too tough for Jets to crack
At the halfway point in the regular season, there have been many thrills, spills and outrageous moments already for NFL fans to pick over, and with the Jets and Bills clashing on Sunday, there are sure to be a few more before the week is out.
We preview the pick of week nine’s games below.
New York Jets v Buffalo Bills
The New York Jets four-match winning run came to an end last week, as they fell to a shock 22-17 defeat to the underperforming New England Patriots. Robert Saleh’s side looked to be in control, as they led 10-6 at the halfway stage, but a desperately poor third quarter, which saw the Patriots score 13 points without reply did the damage.
Jet’s quarterback Zach Wilson was forced to shoulder most of the blame for his side’s defeat, and was accused of throwing the game away, after giving the Patriots three vital interceptions. Saleh has voiced his support for his under-fire player, saying, “we’ve got to rally around him”, but any frailties are likely to be exploited by this week’s opponents, the Buffalo Bills.
One of the most impressive sides of the season so far – only the Philadelphia Eagles have a better record – the Bills are currently favourites to go all the way to Super Bowl glory at 12/5.
They come here on the back of an impressive four-match winning streak, including a domination of the Green Bay Packers last week, where they blew their opponents away in the second quarter.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was the man of the moment, with six catches for 108 yards, as well as making a 26-yard touchdown catch. With offensive ability like that it’s no surprise only three sides have outscored the Bills this season, but defence is where Sean McDermott’s team come into their own, having only conceded 98 points in their seven games to date.
Sitting clear of the Jets at the top of their AFC North division, it’s hard to see anything but a Bills victory in this one, with the side from Buffalo 2/13 for the win, while the Jets are 19/4 to pull off a shock.
A handicap of -13 (10/11) for the Bills highlights their superiority coming into this tie.
Check out the latest betting odds at William Hill
Kansas City Chiefs v Tennessee Titans
On paper this looks set to be a real battle royale between two of the top-performing sides in the NFL this season.
The Kansas City Chief boast a record of 5-2, which sees them head the AFC West division, while the Tennessee Titans are also 5-2 and head AFC South.
The Chiefs recovered from a narrow defeat to the high-flying Buffalo Bills two weeks ago by crushing the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes once again showed how invaluable he is to the Chiefs attack, as he sprayed passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman to score. Wide receiver Hardman had a fine game, scoring three times as ball carrier.
It’s Mahomes ability to unlock an opposition defence that perhaps makes the Chiefs the 2/13 favourites on the money line ahead of this tie. With the handicap of -12.5 (10/11) suggesting they should cruise to victory here.
However, it’s slightly surprising they are such strong favourites, as they face one of the form sides in the NFL when they welcome the Tennessee Titans to Arrowhead Stadium. The Titans are on a five-game unbeaten streak and have been playing some nice stuff in their wins over the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.
They will surely need to step up against a side of the calibre of the Chiefs though, as memories of their 41-7 humbling at the hands of a top-quality Buffalo Bills side in week two still linger.
Having only conceded 138 points in their seven games so far, the Titans have proved they have a mean defence. It will certainly be tested by Mahomes and co, but they will also need quarterback Malik Willis and key running back Derrick Henry to be on top form if they are to make a sizable impression on the scoreboard.
Even so, at odds of 19/4 the Titans look to offer some value and, given the form they are in, are likely to have plenty of supporters.
