The Buffalo Bills don’t have many positives to turn to following back-to-back blowout losses to open the season. Considering whom their next opponent is, there is a good chance that things will get worse. The Bills will travel to face the Minnesota Vikings, who are a 17-point favorite for the game. It is the largest point spread through the first three weeks of the NFL season. Can the Bills at least cover?

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Bills are 9-16 in their last 25 road games dating back to the 2015 season. Buffalo has failed to cover in each of its first two games, losing by a combined 55 points to the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. The total has gone over in four of the Bills’ last six games overall, which isn’t a good thing for a team that wants to stress defence and running the football rather than getting involved in shootouts.

Meanwhile, the Vikings will be looking for their sixth straight home win dating back to last season. Minnesota is 13-2-1 straight up in its last 16 games regardless of venue. The Vikings are perfect against the spread so far this season, covering the 6.5-point spread in a 24-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and then covering the 2.5-point spread in last week’s 29-29 tie with the Packers.

Buffalo Bills

All of the optimism that last year’s playoff appearance has faded away. Bills fans are having a tough time believing what they’re seeing. Rookie quarterback Josh Allen didn’t look great in last week’s loss to the Chargers but he was better than Nathan Peterman. He completed just 18-of-33 pass attempts with a pair of interceptions. Comparing him to Peterman can only last for so long; the Bills have to find ways to compete and Allen didn’t give them a chance.

It certainly won’t help that the Bills lost running back LeSean McCoy to a rib injury. If he’s out, the Bills are going to have little luck against a tough Minnesota run defence. And that will likely trickle down to the other side of the ball where a failing defence is on the field for far too long.

Minnesota Vikings

Despite staying undefeated last week, the Vikings could very well be 2-0 if it wasn’t for kicker Daniel Carlson missing three field goals including two potential game-winning kicks in overtime of last week’s tie. Minnesota addressed its kicker situation on Monday, waiving Carlson after getting a commitment from free agent kicker Dan Bailey. Bailey should provide the Vikings with the type of veteran kicker they will need if they are going to contend for a Super Bowl this season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has to be happy with its quarterback play through two weeks. Kirk Cousins has completed 65.5-percent of his pass attempts while throwing for 669 yards and six touchdowns in his first two starts for the Vikings. He brought them back on the road in Green Bay multiple times last week in a gutsy effort.

With Cousins performing at a high level while running backs Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray taking care of business on the ground, Minnesota could have one of the NFC’s most dangerous offences this season.

17 points is a high number for any team to cover in a non-conference game. However, it’s hard to see the Bills doing much scoring in this one.

Bills vs. Vikings Prediction