After another disappointing postseason exit, Josh Allen and the remodeled Buffalo Bills will look to start the 2024 campaign on a high note when they welcome Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals to Highmark Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Let’s look at the latest odds for this Week 1 matchup and pick out some best bets.
Cardinals vs Bills Odds
NFL odds are current as of Thursday, Sept. 5, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Cardinals (+235) vs Bills (-290)
- Spread: Cardinals +6.5 (-108) vs Bills -6.5 (-112)
- Over/Under: Over 47 (-110) / Under 47 (-110)
Cardinals vs Bills Prediction
Bills 24, Cardinals 20
This game will be closer than most people anticipate.
After trading Stefon Diggs and letting Gabe Davis walk this offseason, the Bills enter the year with some concerns on offense.
Khalil Shakir is the only wide receiver on the roster with experience catching passes from Allen, who will likely rely heavily on second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid until he establishes chemistry with rookie Keon Coleman and veteran Curtis Samuel.
OC Joe Brady leaned on run-heavy game scripts after taking over from Ken Dorsey midway through last season, so we should see a lot of James Cook and rookie Ray Davis until that happens.
That strategy should generate some success against an Arizona defense that gave up the most rushing yards per game (143.2) in the NFL last season. However, I expect that unit to improve in Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon, especially after it addressed some key concerns in free agency.
Buffalo should have just enough firepower to get the win at home, where it went 7-2 straight up last season, but I don’t expect the Bills to light it up from the get-go.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Cardinals vs Bills Best Bets
Cardinals +6.5 (-108)
The Cardinals endured a dismal start to the 2023 campaign as Murray recovered from a torn ACL but improved upon his return, going 3-5 straight up and 5-3 against the spread (ATS) over their final eight games.
The prospect of a rejuvenated and healthy QB1 is huge for this offense, which has a talented backfield and added a game-breaking wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Buffalo was only 5-6 ATS at home last season (including the playoffs), and Arizona has enough talent to keep this a one-score game.
Take the points with the Cards on the road as one of your NFL best bets today.
Under 47 Points (-110)
These offenses will likely lean on the run game in Week 1, which should keep the clock moving and see us Under this relatively high total.
Arizona’s James Conner averaged 20.8 rushing attempts per game over the team’s final five contests of 2023 and should again carry the bulk of the workload after signing a new contract this offseason.
Meanwhile, Buffalo had the lowest home-game passing play percentage in the NFL last season (47.95%) and will likely keep that trend going until Allen gets on track with his new pass-catchers.
I’m not the biggest believer in trends, but Week 1 Unders have crushed over the last two seasons (23-9), and I expect that to continue here.
