MNF: Jets vs Bills Prediction and Game Thread

Monday Night Football, Week 1. Tonight we have the New York Jets hosting the Buffalo Bills in an AFC East rivalry game to open the 2023 NFL season for both teams. The Bills are 2.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

For the first time in a very long time the New York Jets come into this game with a ton of hype and Super Bowl aspirations. The offseason trade for Aaron Rodgers has upped the ante for the Jets, and they appear to be embracing the challenge. Preseason hype is one thing, regular season performance is quite another. The Jets need to back up all the preseason chatter. There’s no better way to do that than to take on and defeat the reigning AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

The Bills, for all their dominance of the AFC East the last few years, also come into this season with something to prove. A ton of regular season success has yet to translate into any Super Bowl appearances, let alone Super Bowl victories. The Bills have had Super Bowl aspirations for several years now, and they haven’t come all that close to winning it all. Now both the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins are threatening to challenge for the division title. Can the Bills stave off the suddenly enhanced competition in the division and go on to win the Super Bowl? We’ll begin to get some answers tonight when they take on the Jets.

The Bills have won five of the last six meetings between these two teams. Unfortunately I expect more of the same tonight. The Bills are an established, elite team in the NFL. They’ve proven it over the last several years. The Jets haven’t proven anything yet. I think until the Jets show it on the field, you have to favor the established powerhouse, and that’s the Bills.

I think this will be a close game, but ultimately the Jets are too much a team in transition. Their offensive line has yet to play a single snap together. Their top two running backs haven’t seen any snaps in the preseason. They have a new quarterback, new offensive coordinator, an entirely new wide receiver corps outside of Garrett Wilson, and a new free safety. Even if things work out as the Jets hope this season, it probably will take a little time to come together. So reluctantly I’m taking the Bills to win on the road here.

I have submitted my pick using the widget from our partners at Tallysight. You can follow all my picks throughout the season, as I prove for another season how I’m not made to be a gambler. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how bad an idea it would be to bet real money based on my picks. Don’t do it. Don’t even consider it. Make your own picks, and good luck. And if you do bet, consider using our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.