Up to NFL Betting Trends

posted July 14, 2008 at 15:16 in NFL Betting Trends

The Buffalo Bills had an up and down season last year for sports wagering fans and finished with seven wins. They were thrown into the gauntlet right off the bat with online betting contests against Denver, Pittsburgh, New England and Dallas in four of their first five weeks, which left them beaten up and with only one win.

Head coach Dick Jauron deserves credit for keeping his team together despite the amount of injuries they faced. After the rough start, the Bills actually finished 6-5 the rest of the way and at one point, appeared to be competing for the playoffs.

They have a young squad that is growing up together but to make the playoffs would be a significant leap. The Bills have sold more season tickets than any other year since 1974, so there is plenty of optimism but they will only go as far as a young quarterback and a young defense can take them.

Offense

All eyes will be on Trent Edwards after he supplanted J.P. Losman as the quarterback of the future. Edwards had decent numbers as a rookie but part of the push to start him was “the grass is greener on the other side” thinking. Losman had fallen out of favor and struggled early in the season, mostly due to a rough schedule.

Edwards finished with OK numbers for a rookie, but for the Bills to really make a run, he’s got to improve vastly.

The Bills tried to get him some more weapons in the offseason but for the most part, the team returns intact. Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish and Josh Reed return but the Bills did add a big target in the draft with 6-6 wideout James Hardy (second-round pick). Wide receivers usually take a while to develop, so Hardy might not have an immediate impact.

Edwards best friend will be running back Marshawn Lynch, who should be the best offensive weapon on the team. He has proven to be one of the better running backs in the league already and the Bills will look to use him more in the receiving game.

The Bills offense is so-so. Edwards is really the key. If he can prove to be a consistent passer and a threat in the pocket to move the chains while hitting Evans and Parrish deep, the Bills will be much better on offense. If not, this offense will look similar to last year’s version.

Defense

The Bills defense was one of the worst in the NFL last year but it was completely ravaged by injuries. From Paul Posluzny to Ko Simpson, it seemed like every week the Bills were dealing with a new injury.

On top of that, the biggest failure on defense was the inability to generate sacks. Ends Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denny, who combined for 25.5 sacks in 2006, totaled only 10 last year.

Those numbers will like go back to their 2006 form especially with the addition of defensive tackle Marcus Stroud in the middle. Stroud, when he’s healthy and motivated, demands a lot of attention in the middle, which will help plug leaks in the running game and open up more one-on-one opportunities for the ends.

The Bills have high expectations for Posluzny, who was lost for the season three games into his rookie season. He just looks like a playmaker ready to blossom, and teaming him with Kawika Mitchell and Angelo Crowell should for a solid crew of linebackers.

There’s a lot of confidence in the secondary, particularly after safety Donte Whitner guaranteed a playoff berth. The Bills play a Cover-Two scheme, which hides their lack of talent at cornerback but if everyone stays healthy the secondary – like the entire defense – could be an underrated unit.

Regular Season Win Total: 8

The Buffalo Bills might be improved, but they won’t be winning nine games this year. First off, beating the New England Patriots anywhere is going to be a monumental task. Secondly, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins will be improved this year.

On top of that, the Bills have road trips to Jacksonville, Kansas City and Denver – three places where wins will be tough to come by.

They might be confident heading into the season but getting to nine wins will be a reasonably difficult task.

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