DraftKings Sportsbook Pregame Rumblings with JSpenceTheKing: Bills vs. Giants

NFL Week 6 is here and it couldn’t come fast enough for Buffalo Bills fans. This week, the Bills will look to rebound from their 25-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, as they host the New York Giants for this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup.

• The Bills opened as a 14.5-point favorite over the Giants in NFL Week 6 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for the game.
• Buffalo is -900 on the moneyline, while New York is +600.
• The over/under (point total) is set at 46.5 points.
• The Giants are coming off a 31-16 loss against the Miami Dolphins in their NFL Week 5 game.
• The Bills are coming off a 25-20 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Below are my thoughts and things to look for during tonight’s game...

---

Will the real Josh Allen please stand up?

Josh Allen is a top three quarterback in the NFL. When he’s on, there might not be anyone better aside from Patrick Mahomes. The thing is, we need Allen to be as consistent as Mahomes has been throughout his career. Last week, Allen’s final stat line was very good. But contextually, he left a lot to be desired in the first three quarters against the Jaguars. A lot of factors could have played into the game, but the fact remains that the Bills were unable to move the ball well in the first three quarters in London. So will Allen go back to the version of himself we saw Weeks 2-4? In each of those games he was nearly perfect. He was actually perfect against the Miami Dolphins. The Giants don’t pose the same type of threat as Jacksonville on either side of the ball, so I expect Allen to have a big day in the air with surgical accuracy.

Run that back!

For the first time in five games, the Bills didn’t have a running attack whatsoever and it showed last weekend. Running back James Cook had a performance reminiscent of Reggie Bush in a Bills uniform with five carries for -4 yards. That just won’t cut it any week against any team. Buffalo’s offense could have given Cook more opportunities or tried to get him involved more in the passing game. But either way, I’m looking for the second-year RB to bounce back in a major way against the Giants — who are currently ranked 29th against the run this season. If offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey gets the run game going early, it will open up the play-action pass for Allen, and that spells success. For this season, Allen ranks first in yards per attempt (12.9), touchdowns (5) and passer rating (158.3 — that means he’s perfect) when he throws out of a play-action set. Dorsey needs to find a way to get him in situations that he’s best in, even if that means going against what Allen prefers.

Next Man Up!

Cornerback Tre’Davious White, linebacker Matt Milano, and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones are all out for extended time, with White’s injury already labeled season-ending. The Bills have also dealt with other injuries on the defensive side as safety Jordan Poyer has missed a game. Additionally, cornerback Christian Benford, and defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Greg Rousseau also missed last week’s game with injuries. So will Buffalo still be good on defense? The short answer to that is yes. This is the year of A.J. Epenesa, and I’m so happy that he decided to arrive during a season in which the Bills need him to be good. My biggest concerns on the defense are replacements for Tre’ White and Matt Milano. Linebacker A.J. Klein will more than likely be the replacement in the short term, but something needs to be done to adequately fill the hole that Milano left. He’s a top-three linebacker in the NFL, and losing him would be like losing Allen on offense. He’s that important. It might not feel like that’s the case because the defense has depth, but we don’t have the quality of depth to replace his production — at all.

Return of the TyGod

Quarterback Daniel Jones being injured and inactive means the Giants’ starting quarterback will be former Bills QB Tyrod Taylor. In my opinion this doesn’t change the game plan for head coach Sean McDermott. Taylor has plenty of experience, so he won’t make the same mistakes Jones might. But he’s not the guy who I expect to turn the Giants’ season around. There are far bigger problems that would need to be addressed before Tyrod Taylor or any QB would be able to provide monumental improvements to the Giants’ offense. I do, however, think that you’ll find a more consistent execution of the offense with Taylor over Jones. In the end, the Bills are still more talented on defense than the Giants are on offense.

Score Prediction: 38-20, Bills over Giants

Brian Daboll hasn’t been able to get the most out of his offense this season the way he did in 2022. But I don’t anticipate this being a game where the Bills hold the Giants scoreless. Running back Saquon Barkley was more active in practice this week, so I expect him to play and help the offense move the ball. Buffalo does well against the run but seems to give up one or two big plays to worthy backs — and Barkley is certainly that and more. Still, whether it’s Daniel Jones or Tyrod Taylor, the Giants just don’t have enough offense to keep up with Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense.

---

The Kings Ransom Same Game Parlay Segment

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler or visit www.1800gambler.net. In New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Licensee partner Golden Nugget Lake Charles (LA). 21 + age varies by jurisdiction. Void in ONT. See sportsbook.draftkings.com/football terms for eligibility, terms and responsible gaming resources.

As always, Buffalo Rumblings Podcasts are brought to you by Picasso’s Pizza: we are Buffalo pizza. Shipping locally and nationwide. Order online at picassopizza.net.

If you miss us live on YouTube, make sure to head over listen to our shows on your favorite podcast platform, Spotify, ApplePodcast, GooglePlay, iHeartRadio, etc to listen in any time after the live stream. JSpenceTheKing is on all Buffalo Rumblings social media, vidcast, and podcast platforms. Follow @JSpenceTheKing and @TheConductPod on Twitter!

The Buffalo Rumblings vidcast network is sponsored by Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare: We Are Focused On You! Take our free smile self-test and schedule an evaluation today at www.fichte.com.

Watch all Buffalo Rumblings vidcast shows live from YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch. Be sure to subscribe to our page through each platform linked below so you’re always up to date on all things Buffalo Bills!

YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Twitch

Subscribe to the Buffalo Rumblings podcast channel featuring Billieve, Breaking Buffalo Rumblings, Code of Conduct, The Bruce Exclusive, Jamie D and Big Newt, The Overreaction Podcast, The Chop Up, Hump Day Hotline, Leading the Charge, Off Tackle with John Fina, Line 2 Gain, Intentional Grounding, Not Another Buffalo Podcast, Circling the Wagons, Ajay’s Analysis, The MafiaCast, That’s A Wrap, Unplugged, TNF Primetime Rumblings, Pregame Rumblings, and MNF Primetime Rumblings

Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Audacy | Spotify | Podbean | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Megaphone | YouTube

Click Here for the Buffalo Rumblings Podcast on your favorite player!

Ask Alexa or Google Home to play the Buffalo Rumblings podcast!

Editor’s note: If you’re viewing this in Apple News, you’ll need to head to your podcast app or the phone’s web browser to hear the embedded audio file.