Sports
Betting Patriots-Bills: Game bets and four player props worth considering
Sunday’s slate of Week 5 games culminates with an AFC East matchup between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills on “Sunday Night Football.”
New England (2-2) is coming off a 42-13 shellacking of the Carolina Panthers, while undefeated Buffalo disposed of the New Orleans Saints, 31-19.
The Bills and Patriots split their series last year, with both teams winning at home. They played twice in a three-week span last season but won’t meet again this year until Week 15.
Buffalo, the Super Bowl favorite at +425, has won its last three games by double-digits and is favored by 7.5 points for Sunday’s tilt.
Here are the odds and trends, plus picks, props and analysis from our experts to help you bet Sunday night’s game.
Note: Odds at time of publication. For the latest updates, visit ESPN BET.
Jump to:
Game picks | Prop bets | Betting trends

Game bets
Maldonado: This matchup is about pressure (or lack of). Josh Allen is elite in both production and efficiency. When teams get to him, he’s human, but if they don’t, he’s unstoppable. That’s a problem for a New England team ranked near the bottom of the league in pressure rate, completion rate allowed, YPA allowed and touchdown rate. The Patriots have given up the second-most explosive plays in the league, while Buffalo leads the NFL in both points per drive (3.09) and explosive plays, so sustained scoring drives should come easy. On the other side, Drake Maye‘s efficiency collapses under pressure, and Buffalo ranks second in creating it. Unless New England runs the ball efficiently, its offense will sputter. Over four quarters, Buffalo’s talent and pressure win out.
Notable player props, bets
0:47
Will Drake Maye continue his early-season fantasy success?
Daniel Dopp explains why he likes Drake Maye to continue his fantasy success in Week 5 against the Bills.
Drake Maye to record 35+ yards rushing (+110)
Bowen: Maye is averaging 24.5 yards rushing per game this season, using his dual-threat ability to create as a runner on scramble attempts. And Maye will be forced to move against a Bills defense that leads the league with a pressure rate of 45.9%. Look for the second-year pro to extend plays outside of the pocket and pick up rushing numbers in this one.
Rhamondre Stevenson to record 3+ receptions (+115)
Maldonado: I like this more than any yardage, touchdown or alt number on the board because it perfectly aligns with the most likely game script: Bills lead, Patriots trail. Buffalo’s high pressure rate historically spikes checkdown volume. Stevenson is top five among RBs in yards per route run and has already cleared this number in 50% of games without the negative script he’s likely to get Sunday. If the Bills cover, Stevenson’s usage almost certainly gets him three catches. It’s a plus-money play with a high probability of hitting and minimal dependency on broken plays or touchdowns.
Khalil Shakir to go OVER 44.5 receiving yards (-110), score Anytime TD (+210)
Loza: Shakir has drawn fewer looks and run fewer routes than Keon Coleman four weeks into 2025, but his matchup is exploitable in Week 5. The Patriots have been middle of the pack versus the slot, allowing 275 receiving yards to that area of the field. Coincidentally, that’s where Shakir spends most of his time, recording a slot snap share of over 59% (WR12).
Additionally, Christian Gonzalez, who made his 2025 debut in Week 4 and limited Tetairoa McMillan to two catches and 31 receiving yards while in his assignment, figures to shadow Coleman. Gonzalez recorded a shadow rate of nearly 59% while giving up an average of 32.2 receiving yards in 2024. Facing softer coverage and in a game with a projected point total of 49.5, Shakir figures to emerge as Allen’s leading receiver on Sunday night. He’s facing plus coverage, has cleared the above line in three of four games and has found the end zone in back-to-back contests.
Dalton Kincaid to go OVER 31.5 receiving yards (-120)
Moody: Given this game features one of the highest point totals on the slate, it’s a great opportunity for Kincaid to shine. Kincaid has cleared this line in three out of four games this season and now faces a Patriots defense that has given up the seventh-most receiving yards per game to tight ends.
Betting trends
Courtesy of ESPN Research
-
The Patriots have covered four straight meetings with two outright wins as underdogs.
-
All three Bills home games have gone over the total this season.
-
The Bills are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games as single-digit favorites.
-
Unders are 39-19 on “Sunday Night Football” since 2023.
Sports
Michigan tops Illinois for 1st outright Big Ten regular-season title since ’14
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night and clinched the Big Ten regular-season title.
Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans.
Aday Mara had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting, and Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1), who are 10-0 on the road and have won 23 games by 10 or more points.
The Wolverines won their first outright conference regular-season title since 2014, when they also clinched with a win at Illinois.
Michigan’s 17 conference victories are the most in school history.
Keaton Wagler scored 23 points for the Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5), who have lost four of six, including three in overtime. Wagler scored in double figures for the 21st straight game.
Kylan Boswell scored 15 points, and David Mirkovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini, who entered the game as the Big Ten’s top 3-point shooting team. Illinois was just 9-of-29 from distance against Michigan.
Michigan led 38-31 at halftime behind Johnson’s 13 points.
Down 16-11 after a four-point play by Wagler, the Wolverines responded with an 11-point run capped by a 3 by Johnson and never trailed again. They led by as many as 21 points in the second half.
Michigan’s win snapped a nine-game losing streak against Illinois that began in 2019. The Wolverines had dropped four in a row to the Illini at the State Farm Center.
Sports
Kelly Inouye-Perez passes Hall of Famer Sue Enquist for most wins in UCLA history
Kelly Inouye-Perez became the winningest coach in UCLA softball history when the No. 9 Bruins beat No. 4 Florida 15-12 on Friday night in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., pushing her past mentor and Hall of Famer Sue Enquist for career victory No. 888.
It was Enquist, in fact, who crowned her.
Literally.
Enquist was part of the postgame celebration, stepping forward to present Inouye-Perez with a crown that had blue gemstones to match the UCLA uniforms players wore in the victory. Inouye-Perez grew emotional as she explained how much it meant to carry on a proud UCLA legacy.
Only three women have coached the winningest softball program in Division I history: Inouye-Perez played for the other two, Sharron Backus and Enquist, during her UCLA playing career. They each have 800-plus victories, and are responsible for all of UCLA’s 2,226 wins and 13 national championships.
In a phone call with ESPN after the victory, Inouye-Perez deflected praise and made sure to credit longtime assistant and best friend Lisa Fernandez as well. The two played at UCLA together and have been side by side since Inouye-Perez became head coach in 2007.
“When we talk about the Bruin family, it’s real, and that’s all I’m trying to do is sustain this tradition of excellence for all those that built this historic program,” Inouye-Perez said. “There is no other program that has sustained over six decades like UCLA softball and Lisa and I are doing our best to be able to do that.”
Inouye-Perez, in her 20th season as UCLA head coach, arrived in Westwood in 1989 as a catcher. She would ultimately win three national championships as a player. Her coaching career began as a UCLA assistant under Enquist immediately after her playing career ended.
This season marks her 38th straight year with UCLA softball. She remains the only person in Division I history to win a national championship as a player and coach.
Sports
WWE ‘SmackDown’ live updates, results and analysis
Sachin Chandan breaks down all the action from the last “SmackDown” before Elimination Chamber 2022. Follow live.
Source link
-
Tech1 week agoA $10K Bounty Awaits Anyone Who Can Hack Ring Cameras to Stop Sharing Data With Amazon
-
Business1 week agoUS Top Court Blocks Trump’s Tariff Orders: Does It Mean Zero Duties For Indian Goods?
-
Fashion1 week agoICE cotton ticks higher on crude oil rally
-
Entertainment1 week agoThe White Lotus” creator Mike White reflects on his time on “Survivor
-
Politics6 days agoPakistan carries out precision strikes on seven militant hideouts in Afghanistan
-
Tech1 week agoDonald Trump Jr.’s Private DC Club Has Mysterious Ties to an Ex-Cop With a Controversial Past
-
Business7 days agoEye-popping rise in one year: Betting on just gold and silver for long-term wealth creation? Think again! – The Times of India
-
Sports1 week agoBrett Favre blasts NFL for no longer appealing to ‘true’ fans: ‘There’s been a slight shift’
