NFL Week 1: Is Bills vs. Ravens a Preview for the Playoffs?

With the new NFL season on the horizon, fans and bettors will have a keen eye on the opening week’s schedule. There are some really interesting matchups from September 4th through September 9th, and we could pick out some like the Chiefs vs. Chargers and Lions vs. Packers as worth keeping an eye on, both from a betting perspective and as bellwether games for teams with genuine playoff hopes.

Yet, for neutrals, it is abundantly clear that the most eye-catching game in September is the Ravens vs. the Bills. Not only does it feel like the toughest to call among all the betting lines for NFL Week 1 games, but it also pits the two betting favorites for the Super Bowl, two favorites for the AFC Championship, and two favorites for the MVP (Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen) against each other. As a means for the NFL to build up some excitement and fan engagement for the new season, having these two teams collide is a gift.

Bet Smarter With Sportshub!

Data-Backed Service Plays, Daily Updates

Start Winning Now

Super Bowl favorites clash in Week 1

A preview for an AFC Playoff game further down the line? We mentioned that the two teams are Super Bowl favorites. That’s taking an average across numerous sportsbooks, which put the Ravens slightly ahead of the Bills overall (odds of about +650 to +700 for each team are widely available). The pair is lumped together with the Eagles and Chiefs, though, but on average, the Bills and Ravens are ahead of last season’s two Super Bowl finalists.

As both the Ravens and Bills are in the AFC, it means they can’t clash in the Super Bowl, but it feels like a strong possibility they could meet again in the Playoffs, just like last season. The Bills came out on top in that one, as they did in January 2021, so it leaves the Bills 2-0 over the Ravens in postseason games. In fact, the Ravens have only beaten the Bills once in the 2020s, with that victory coming in late September last year.

Home advantage may be a crucial factor in January

That regular-season matchup last term should, in fact, give us pause about drawing too many conclusions about the outcome of this opening game of the campaign. The Ravens hammered the Bills 35-10 at M&T Bank Stadium, but it gave us little clue as to what would happen when the two clashed again in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs in January. The Bills’ win was hard-fought, but its significance was somewhat lost when they came up against the familiar roadblock of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Arguably, what does matter if these two teams clash again in the Playoffs is home advantage. The Bills have done a good job of turning Highmark Stadium into a fortress in recent years. Last season, they went 10-0 (including two Playoff victories) at home, and they are 22-3 at home over the past three regular seasons. Home advantage is still important to the Ravens, but they have not been just as dominant at M&T Bank Stadium as the Bills have been at home.

Thus, getting home advantage might be the key for either of these teams to make the Super Bowl. Should the Bills beat the Ravens in Week 1, we would only consider them favorites for any AFC Playoff clash if it’s played at Highmark Stadium. Yes, we know that home advantage is desirable for any team during the Playoffs – that’s why we have a seeding system – but these two teams, as well as the Chiefs, have been going tit-for-tat in the regular season over the last few years, and home advantage tends to be the difference-maker when they clash in the Playoffs.

Neutrals will enjoy this game as the pick of the Week 1 fixtures. But fans of the Bills and Ravens probably shouldn’t get too dismayed or optimistic, regardless of whether their team wins or loses. It’s a long, hard road to January, and both these teams will likely be in the business end of proceedings. That’s where we will learn what they are truly made of.