Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 2019: Prediction, Odds For Game Between AFC Playoff Contenders

The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers are leading the AFC wild-card race with just three weeks left in the 2019 NFL season. The two teams will meet on “Sunday Night Football” in arguably the most important game on the entire Week 15 schedule.

Both Buffalo and Pittsburgh find themselves in the playoff picture because of defense. The Bills rank second in points allowed, third in yards allowed and fourth in opponents’ yards per play. The Steelers are sixth in scoring defense, fifth in total defense and third in opponents’ yards per play.

The over/under in Sunday’s matchup is only 36.5, according to OddsShark. Pittsburgh is favored by two points at home.

The contest is almost certain to be a low-scoring one. The Steelers have given up 21 points or fewer in five straight games. Before losing to the Baltimore Ravens 24-17 in Week 14, the Bills had surrendered no more than 20 points in five straight games.

There are plenty of positives to take from Buffalo’s most recent loss. The Bills held Lamar Jackson to 40 rushing yards on 11 attempts. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 145 yards. The MVP frontrunner threw his first interception since Oct .6 when the Steelers picked him off three times.

Devlin Hodges will go up against Buffalo in Week 15, making his fourth start of the season. Pittsburgh is 3-0 in his starts, including a “Sunday Night Football” victory in his first-ever start on Oct. 13.

Hodges hasn’t thrown for more than 212 yards in any game. He went 16-19 for 152 yards and a touchdown in a 23-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals last week.

Pittsburgh was able to win games without asking too much of Mason Rudolph before the quarterback threw four interceptions in a loss against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers might now need Hodges to make a few big throws, considering it’ll be his first start against a team that’s above .500.

Josh Allen hasn’t thrown for more than 266 yards in a game this season. He’s been held to 185 yards or fewer twice in the last three games and was wildly inaccurate at times against Baltimore.

But Allen has made some big plays down the stretch of games that has helped Buffalo grab hold of the AFC’s No.5 seed.

Allen did have his most impressive game of the year on Thanksgiving when he completed 19 of 24 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown to go along with 43 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in Dallas. The quarterback has 17 passing touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns. He’s only been picked off once in the last eight games.

Buffalo’s edge at quarterback could be the difference in a contest that features very few points and comes down to the wire.

Prediction: Buffalo over Pittsburgh, 16-13