Odds Detroit Lions Defeat Buffalo Bills in Week 2

Examining if the Detroit Lions can march into Buffalo and secure a road victory.

Dec 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) scrambles for a first down against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Lions certainly won't have it easy on Thursday night facing Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. 

Detroit barely squeaked out a 31-30 victory against New Orleans in its regular season opener. Meanwhile, Allen and the Bills took care of business against the Texans, scoring 36 points on a Houston defense that led the NFL in yards allowed and ranked second in points allowed last season.

Allen passed for 334 yards and two touchdowns, and added another two scores on the ground. Additionally, tight end Dalton Kincaid produced a game-high 130 receiving yards and wide receiver DJ Moore contributed another 100.

It could be a bad omen for Dan Campbell's team, which had an extremely difficult time stopping Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and receiver Chris Olave in the second half this past Sunday.

Shough ended up throwing for 410 yards and three touchdowns, while Olave amassed 10 receptions for 182 yards. The quarterback-receiver duo torched the Lions’ secondary, spearheading a valiant comeback attempt that saw New Orleans erase a 21-0 deficit.

Consequently, it's expected Detroit's defensive backfield will have its hands full – and then some – trying to limit the productivity of Allen and Buffalo's passing game.

Allen, a four-time Pro Bowler and the league's Most Valuable Player in 2024, is undoubtedly one of the game's very best passers. He's thrown for at least 3,600 yards and 25 touchdowns each season since 2020, and has also rushed for at least 12 TDs in each of the past three seasons. He's the very definition of a dual-threat passer, and should give Kelvin Sheppard's defense fits in the Week 2 primetime affair.

The Wyoming product also had plenty of success against Detroit in the past. He's 3-0 all-time vs. the Lions, with five passing touchdowns and another four rushing scores to his name. He's also garnered 819 passing yards and another 162 yards on the ground in his career vs. the Lions.

And on top of all that, Allen and his teammates will have some extra motivation going into Thursday's contest, with it being the first ever game played at the Bills’ new home stadium: Highmark Stadium. It should be a raucous atmosphere, and “Bills Mafia” will be as loud and proud as ever before.

So, there's no question Detroit will be entering the very essence of a hostile environment in Buffalo, one which could shift the tide in favor of the Joe Brady-led team.

The Lions can ill-afford to play a less than “A-level” game against the Bills. And if they do, it will cost Campbell & Co. dearly on Thursday night.

At this present juncture, I'm willing to give Detroit a 32 percent chance to secure the Week 2 victory.