Is Betting The Buffalo Bills In The Second Half Worth It?

There were a few things worth noting from the Buffalo Bills’ blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in week two of the NFL season. First, Josh Allen didn’t look all that bad despite the lopsided nature of the game. Second, police outside of the tailgate party really did put a stop to the tradition of fans slamming each other through tables before the game started. And third, and most importantly, the Buffalo Bills might be a team worth betting on in the second half of games going forward.

The Bills came into the game at New Era Field as 7.5 point underdogs, a number that they were unable to cover thanks in large part to a 28-6 deficit that drew boos from the fans in Orchard Park. But in the second half, the rebuilding Bills were easily able to cover the 3.5 point spread in the second half of the game, winning that half outright by the score of 14-3. The final score still ended up a comfortable 31-20 margin in favor of the Chargers, but that second half opened some eyes for second half bettors.

Betting the Bills in the second half might be a good idea for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that they should be down big in a large percentage of their games as Josh Allen learns to be a professional quarterback. The Vikings are a double digit favorite in week three against the Bills, but if the Vikings get up by enough points after one half of play, their philosophy in the second half could lend itself to another second half cover for Buffalo.

That shift in philosophy by teams happens when they get up by enough points and stop relying so heavily on throwing the football. Instead, they keep the ball on the ground and keep the clock moving, fully knowing that they simply need to keep burning the clock to finish out their victory. The Chargers did this in their week two game against the Bills, and that noticeable change could allow for more second half winners for Bills bettors in the future.

This strategy could be especially effective when the Bills are at home, where the fans at New Era Field didn’t seem to give up on the team despite the blowout in the first 30 minutes of the game. With Buffalo having one of the best home field advantages in the league, bettors should keep an eye on these outcomes going forward and take advantage of the second half wagering strategy where possible.

Of course, things will be a little more difficult for the Bills now that they are without cornerback Vontae Davis, who retired in the middle of last week’s game. Fortunately for those looking to make some money betting the second half of Bills games, their opponents should be keeping the ball on the ground for the most part. And if the offense can move the ball in garbage time the way that they did against the Chargers, this could be a hidden gem of a wager going forward.