New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills: How to Watch, Betting Odds, Tanking?

The New England Patriots are 8.5-point home underdogs to a Buffalo Bills team they once dominated in the AFC East.

The New England Patriots welcome the Buffalo Bills to Foxboro on Sunday as both teams hope to fix some recent offensive woes. Buffalo got the win last week against the New York Giants, but scored just 14 points in the process. New England has struggled offensively all season, scoring a mere 12 points per contest which ranks 31st in the league.

There was a time when a trip to Gillette Stadium was used as a measuring stick not just for the Bills, but for any team. But the Patriots are mired in a 1-5 start - the worst beginning to a season since Bill Belichick took over as head coach, and hope they can avoid being embarrassed at home.

The Patriots are so hapless that reports this week suggest some in their front office are already eyeing next season and the team's positioning in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Josh Allen and the Bills have won six of the last seven against the once-proud Patriots / Getty

With cries all around New England for a change at quarterback, Belichick's focus hasn't changed. “Get ready to play Buffalo,” he said.

Buffalo has won the last four meetings and six out of the last seven, and the goal remains the same from coach Sean McDermott. Win the division and streak into the playoffs.

“The Patriots had a great run in this division before a lot of us got here,” McDermott said. “I think it’s a mindset change and just knowing each and every week you can beat anybody you get on the field with.”

Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott scored his first touchdown of the season in last week's loss at the Las Vegas Raiders, and says his team's focus shouldn't change.

“Keep working,” Elliott said. “We’ve got to handle this thing one game at a time. That’s how we would handle it if we were 5-1 instead of 1-5. We’d still be attacking it the same way.”

WHAT: Buffalo Bills (4-2) at New England Patriots (1-5)

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, 1 p.m. ET

WHERE: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA (64,628)

TELEVISION: CBS / FuboTV (try it free)

RADIO: WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub

TICKETS via SI TICKETS

BETTING via SI SportsBook

SPREAD: Bills -8.5

TOTAL: 39.5

MONEYLINE: Bills -450, Patriots +330

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