Lions vs Bills Game Analysis: New Stadium
The Buffalo Bills will host the Detroit Lions on Thursday, September 17. Kickoff is at 8:15 EST. This will be the first game the Bills play in their new Highmark Stadium. It should be electric.
Both teams won their Week 1 games, as their offenses scored a combined 67 points. Join us at PayPerHead to see which team is the favorite in this Lions vs Bills prediction.
Detroit Lions Recent Scores: Week 1 OT
The Lions finished the preseason 2-1, losing only to the Bengals in Week 1.
In Week 1 of the regular season, they blew a 21-point lead against the Saints, who were down 21-0 in the 3rd. But the Lions came back to tie it, forcing overtime.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
The Saints went for a two-point conversion to win, but it backfired.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 29 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit ran the ball a total of 33 times. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made ten catches and two touchdowns. A very productive night for those two.
The defense used the blitz often with five sacks, which worked until the Saints adjusted for it. Their pass defense was a weak point, allowing New Orleans to throw for 410 yards against them. Josh Allen could have a field day on Thursday.
Buffalo Bills Recent Scores: New Head Coach
Sean McDermott was with the Bills for nine seasons. They made the playoffs in eight of those. But despite that, he was fired after they lost in the AFC Divisional Round in the 2025 playoffs. Ownership felt that he couldn’t get them to the Super Bowl. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady was promoted to head coach.
The Bills won all three of their preseason games against the Panthers, Browns, and Steelers.
In Week 1 of the regular season, they took on the Texans but didn’t get the memo that Houston had the best defense in the league, beating them 36-31. Houston kept it close throughout.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT |
| Bills | 3 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 36 |
| Texans | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
Tight end Dalton Kincaid had five catches for 130 yards, while QB Josh Allen threw for 334 yards, plus two rushing scores. He was sacked twice but had no turnovers. The offense averaged a whopping 7.9 yards per play.
Lions vs Bills History: Even Scoring
These teams have only met 13 times since their first meeting in 1972. They have almost the exact same points scored: Buffalo – 274, Detroit – 273, but the Bills lead the series 8-4-1. Most of the scores were in the teens. Their last meeting was by far the highest-scoring, with Buffalo winning 48-42.
Do you think they’ll score as many this game?
Lions vs Bills Prediction: Questionable Defenses
Seeing how the Lions’ defense crumbled against the Saints in the second half of Week 1, and how the Bills overpowered the ‘top defense in the league,’ odds are that the Bills will make short work of Detroit’s defense and win this one.
The Bills are 4.5-point favorites over the Lions. Last season, both teams averaged 28.3 points per game, and so far this season, they remain offensive powerhouses. Expect a high-scoring game, even with the short week, which favors the team that didn’t go into overtime.
Our Lions vs Bills prediction is a win for the Bills in what promises to be a shootout with these two powerhouse offenses. It’ll be a high-scoring game, 36-32 for Buffalo. Remember to follow us on social media to stay tuned for this NFL season.
