'Thursday Night Football' prediction, odds, spread, time: Lions vs. Bills picks from expert on 22-11 roll — SkimNews
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- Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills both enter Week 2 at 1-0 after Detroit's 31-30 overtime win over New Orleans and Buffalo's 36-31 win over Houston
- Thursday Night Football kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET from New Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., where Buffalo is a 5.5-point favorite and the over/under sits at 54.5 — the highest on the Week 2 NFL odds board
- Larry Hartstein is leaning Over 54.5, citing high-powered offenses on both sides and Week 1 defensive struggles, while entering the game on a 22-11-1 roll across his last 34 Lions picks that has returned $966 to $100 players
- Hartstein's track record includes a 50-37 ATS mark in the 2025 NFL season (57.5%) and a 643-555 ATS lifetime record, with nearly 70% accuracy on straight-up picks the past two seasons
- Detroit's defense will be without safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch after that unit was on the field for 86 plays against the Saints
- Key Week 1 performers included Jahmyr Gibbs (156 rushing yards, 2 TDs on 29 carries), Amon-Ra St. Brown (10 catches, 67 yards, 2 TDs), and Josh Allen (334 passing yards, 2 TDs)
- Buffalo has won five straight head-to-head matchups over Detroit, with the Lions seeking a fifth consecutive winning season under Dan Campbell and the Bills seeking an eighth straight under first-year coach Joe Brady
Why it matters: Two early-season contenders meet in a Buffalo home opener, and the 54.5 over/under — the highest on the Week 2 board — signals oddsmakers expect fireworks from two offenses that combined for 67 points in Week 1. Hartstein's 22-11-1 Lions-specific run gives his Over lean credibility, but Detroit's secondary minus safeties Joseph and Branch faces Josh Allen on a short week after logging 86 defensive snaps.
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