NFL Week 6 odds: Divisional clashes highlight Sunday afternoon slate
Week 6 of the NFL season features eight divisional matchups, including five on Sunday afternoon, highlighted by the Buffalo Bills hosting the New England Patriots with the AFC East lead on the line. The Bills and Patriots are both 3-2 and coming off impressive wins in Week 5. New England is a three-point road favorite following a 43-17 rout of the previously unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football as a 2.5-point home underdog.
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New England's contender status was questioned after they were blown out 41-14 by the Kansas City Chiefs the previous week on Monday Night Football as 2.5-point road favorites. After bouncing back at home with a dominant performance, the Patriots hit the road again for a key game against the Bills, who have lost 20 of the last 21 meetings. Buffalo is coming off a 17-14 upset of the Detroit Lions on the road last week as a 4.5-point underdog and has covered in its last six home games against AFC East opponents, winning five of them. The Bills are also 5-1 against the spread in their past six games as home underdogs.
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The AFC North is the site of another critical divisional game, as the Cleveland Brownshost the 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. Last week the Browns pulled off the largest comeback by a road team in NFL history, rallying from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Tennessee Titans 29-28 after entering as a one-point favorite.
Each of Cleveland’s four games so far this season has been decided by three points or less, including the team’s 30-27 season-opening loss to the Steelers as 5.5-point road dogs. Pittsburgh has won the last four meetings with the Browns, going 3-1 against the spread in those games. Cleveland is a one-point favorite for the second straight week and has gone 1-5 straight up and ATS in its past six games as home favorites.
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The other three divisional matchups on Sunday afternoon include the Titans (-6) hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, the Detroit Lions (-3) visiting the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, and the San Diego Chargers (-7) taking on the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West. The Titans and Vikings are waiting to find out the status of respective starting quarterbacks Jake Locker (hand) and Teddy Bridgewater (ankle), so make sure to monitor the NFL injury report before betting those games.
The Chargers-Raiders matchup will be interesting with Tony Sparano taking over as Oakland’s head coach after Dennis Allen was fired in the aftermath of a 38-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins in London two weeks ago. The winless Raiders are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 meetings with San Diego, but the 4-1 Chargers are a perfect 5-0 ATS this season and 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games against divisional opponents. Oakland has dropped five of its last six home games following a bye week.
