Two teams coming off tough opening-week losses meet when Cam Newton and his Carolina Panthers visit EJ Manuel and his Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon (1 pm ET, Fox).

In the early betting the Panthers, who lost by five points at home to Seattle Sunday, were favored by three points at the Bills, who gave up a field goal with five seconds left to lose to New England Sunday.

Interestingly, the road team has covered spread in the past four meetings. The Bills have been toothless underdogs, going 2-16 SU in their past 18 games in this role.



View Carolina vs Buffalo Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors who were going with the Bills in this one found them listed as 3-point underdogs on the betting line at Sportsbook. Totals bettors have seen that number set earlier in the week at 44 for Monday.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bills - Panthers odds would favor the Panthers if the lines were set according to power ranks. Buffalo is rated No. 27 in our latest OddsShark poll, while the Panthers sit at No. 21. Math models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 14-11 win for the Bills.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Buffalo's No. 20-ranked offense (21 PPG) against a Panthers defense that ranks No. 5 at 12 PPG. The Bills passing attack has averaged 150 yards per game, less than the Panthers give up through the air (300 YPG on average).



The Panthers were a 12-7 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Seahawks. They failed to cover the 3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (19) made winners of UNDER bettors. The Panthers suffered a Week 1 loss against Seattle in their last game, falling 12-7 at Bank of America Stadium.

The Bills were a 23-21 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Patriots. They covered the 10-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (44) made winners of UNDER bettors. The Bills's last action saw them get a 2-TD performance from EJ Manuel, but they were handed a 23-21 loss by New England at Ralph Wilson Stadium.


Carolina Panthers Trends:
When playing in September are 2-8
When playing on turf are 2-8
After being outgained are 3-7
When playing outside the division are 4-6

Buffalo Bills Trends:
When playing in September are 5-5
When playing on turf are 3-7
After being outgained are 4-6
When playing outside the division are 4-6

A few Panthers at Bills trends to consider:
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games on the road
Carolina is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Carolina home to NY Giants, Sunday, September 22
Buffalo at NY Jets, Sunday, September 22