When the Buffalo Bills met the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this NFL season, the AFC matchup registered as perhaps the most anticipated heavyweight matchup of the year. And yet, with the divisional round of the playoffs upon us, we may have a new king among must-win matchups, and it features the two favorites for this season’s MVP award: Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens .
Josh Allen did his best Superman impersonation for the Bills, helping Buffalo finish 13-4 and defeat the Denver Broncos despite a group of remade and often mixed-up skill weapons. Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, might be on his way to a third career MVP award after throwing for a career-best 41 touchdowns, while also playing on the field as Derrick Henry’s electric running mate.
These two Super Bowl hopefuls met in September, when Jackson’s Ravens earned a 35-10 victory, but Buffalo has basically been a powerhouse since then, going 11-1 in their last 12 games, not counting the regular season finale in which the key starters were rested.
Can the Bills continue their momentum to advance to the AFC Championship, or will Jackson win again? Either way, this is a can’t-miss game for NFL fans.
How can you log in? Which player matchups are the most crucial? And who is ready to walk away with victory? Here is our sports betting preview and predictions:
Bills vs Ravens where to watch
Date: Sunday January 19 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)
TV: CBS | Flow: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports app
Odds: Ravens -1, O/U 51.5 (SportsLine consensus)
Key questions for Bills vs. Ravens
USATSI
- How will Buffalo counter the Ravens’ deadly ground attack? Taking on Derrick Henry is hard enough. Defending him and Jackson proved too difficult for Sean McDermott’s defense in Week 4, when Baltimore’s top two rushers combined for more than 250 rushing yards. Additionally, Buffalo’s defense is accustomed to deploying an excess of defensive backs. Will they adapt to an unknown configuration in order to strengthen the first seven? Or will they just hope for better results this time?
- Will the weather benefit one club over another? Winter forecasts are nothing new for the Buffalo area, but with temperatures ready to dive into single digits and potentially mix in with snow flurries Sunday night, it stands to reason that the high-running Ravens will have a slight head start. That’s not to say Buffalo can’t move the ball on the ground; James Cook is an underrated weapon next to Allen. But Baltimore is more dynamic in this area thanks to Henry’s oversized toughness.
- Can the Ravens pass catchers step up again? Zay Flowers is by far the team’s best perimeter playmaker, but he missed the wild-card round due to injury and appears to be a long shot for this one as well. That could mean another significant workload for the club’s two tight ends, Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. This also means that, in the event that Allen and the Bills take an early lead, Jackson and the Ravens could be shorthanded and have a harder time pushing the ball downfield.
Prediction
This is, in many ways, a legacy for Allen and Jackson and their respective suitors: Neither quarterback is likely to stray from the widely accepted standard of transcendent talent under center, but both signal callers are desperate to form their own definition. playoffs and ultimately eclipse the towering shadow of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. As such, we expect both to make their share of sensational plays on Sunday, even and perhaps especially if winter weather hits.
The real question is which supporting cast is best suited to the occasion? And while the Bills are underrated as a rushing team thanks to Cook’s explosiveness, Baltimore has been the more well-rounded contender in its prime, boasting a rejuvenated defense and a physical, methodical offense virtually built for cold weather playoff games. We like Henry’s chances against McDermott’s front seven, especially after what he did in Buffalo in September, and project Baltimore’s return to the AFC title game.
Take: Ravens 27, Bills 24
