The point spread for the Washington Football Team’s road game against the Buffalo Bills is at an influencing number, meaning the line is at significant place where some bettors may be persuaded in a particular direction. That direction is toward the WFT with Washington getting 7.5 points – the half a point being the determinant in some bettors’ minds.
For Virginia sports betting this line started with the 1-1 Bills, a preseason darling to go far in the NFL playoffs, at generally a 9-point favorite; it was as high as 10 points with some sportsbooks (e.g., briefly at PointsBet). The 1-1 WFT has held its own in the early going and has one of the moat highly regarded defenses in the league. Meanwhile, through the week, the line has been drifting downward.
Still, the seven points-and-hook that Washington is getting will feel almost as attractive as a full 8 to 9 points to many gambling in Virginia. The game is being played in the Sunday early window (1 p.m. ET). The O/U is 45.5.
Bills are 1-1 ATS
The Bills, with rising star quarterback Josh Allen, are 1-1 against the spread after suffering an upset loss against Pittsburgh in Week 1 and then coming back to crush Miami, 35-0, last week and covering easily. Washington is 0-2 ATS. The WFT has been a favorite in both of its games (against the L.A. Chargers, -2.5, and N.Y. Giants, -4) winning the Giants game with a field goal as time expired.
Washington is making do at QB with plucky Taylor Heinicke, who is replacing the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. Heinicke’s resume includes a stint as a backup quarterback for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL – and, oh yeah, nearly beating Tom Brady and the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs last season, in the Old Dominion engineering major’s NFL debut.
The WFT is facing long odds to win the NFC title and make the Super Bowl.
In the early going betting-wise, the public is leaning toward Buffalo by more than 60% but the smart money is saying WFT by a slight margin.
