NFL Week 8 betting line and pick: Bills vs. Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks on in the third quarter of a game against the New York Giants at Highmark Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images/Timothy T Ludwig
TAMPA BAY (3-3) AT BUFFALO (4-3)
TV: Amazon Prime, 8:15 p.m.
Buffalo by 8.5; O/U: 43
When the Bills beat the Dolphins, 48-20, on the first Sunday in October, they not only looked like the best team in the AFC East but maybe the best team in the NFL. Then they boarded a plane to London four days later and their season has been out of whack ever since.
STAFF PICKS
Joe Manniello (46-57-3): Tampa Bay
Tom Rock (53-50-3): Buffalo
Al Iannazzone (54-49-3): Buffalo
Kimberly Jones (46-57-3): Buffalo
A groggy 25-20 loss to Jacksonville. Then a 14-9, lucky-to-escape win over the Giants at home on Sunday Night Football. But last Sunday’s 29-25 loss at New England may have been the most surprising. So, what’s going on with the Bills, a perennial contender with Josh Allen? For starters, slow starts. After scoring 31 first-half points against Miami, Buffalo has outputs of 7, 0 and 3 points the last three weeks. While the offense has struggled, the defense was dealt back-to-back big blows when cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano suffered serious injuries. Tight end Dawson Knox, one of Allen’s favorite targets not named Stefon Diggs, is also out for this game.
Even without a running game, Allen and Diggs can light it up with the flip of a switch. But four days after the Pats debacle, can we really bank on the Bills winning by double digits? Sure, the Bucs are offensively challenged at times: 6 and 13 points the last two weeks vs. Detroit and Atlanta, respectively. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans have a good connection early on, though, and considering Buffalo’s injuries, Tampa Bay should be able to move the ball.
Maybe this is the night Buffalo wakes up from its October malaise, or maybe it’s too short a turnaround. We’ll know early what kind of game this will be (quick start vs. Miami or slow start vs. Jacksonville). This is too many points to pass up, even with the third-best team in Florida.
The pick: Tampa Bay
Joe Manniello, an editor on the sports copy desk, has written the NFL picks column since 2015. Manniello joined Newsday in 2004. He graduated from St. John's.
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