The Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season features the Buffalo Bills hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium. We’ll be diving into all of the primetime games this season, and this one isn’t any different. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds, picks and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 1 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Ravens vs. Bills
When: Sunday, September 7th at 8:20 pm ET
Where: Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York
Channel: NBC
Ravens vs. Bills Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday, September 5th. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Ravens -125, Bills +105
Spread: Ravens -1.5 (-110), Bills +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 50.5 (-112), Under 50.5 (-108)
Ravens vs. Bills Analysis
Last season, the Ravens absolutely whooped the Bills when they met in Baltimore during the regular season. They ended up winning that game 35-10. However, when the two met in the AFC Divisional Round, Buffalo was able to escape with a 27-25 home win. That was an absolute nail-biter, and it ended with Mark Andrews dropping an easy game-tying two-point conversion. That result has people thinking the Ravens will be out for revenge in Week 1, and it’s possible they will be. However, you shouldn’t need any narratives to jump on the Baltimore side. The Ravens are just a better football team.
With Josh Allen being surrounded by some talented skill-position players, Buffalo’s offense is going to be spectacular again. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady did an awesome job with the group last year, as the Bills finished second in the NFL in EPA per play (0.186). But you know what? It was Lamar Jackson and the Ravens that finished first (0.199). And from Week 9 to the end of the regular season, Baltimore was second in the NFL in EPA per play allowed (-0.105). In that span, Buffalo was 21st in the NFL with an EPA per play allowed of 0.055. And for the season, on the whole, the Bills (-0.004) finished right behind the Ravens (-0.016) in that metric, despite the fact that Baltimore took some time to settle in after the loss of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who left to be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s just hard not to feel like the Ravens are the better team on both sides of the ball. Baltimore didn’t make many changes on offense, but offensive coordinator Todd Monken has a new toy to work with in DeAndre Hopkins. The 33-year-old isn’t a superstar anymore, but he still has a little left in the tank. And I’m not sure changes were needed to shred this defense. The Bills were a below-average team when it came to defending the pass last year, and Tre’Davious White, who they brought back to help address that, is doubtful for Week 1. So, there will be a lot on the plate of corner Christian Benford, and Jackson should be able to avoid attacking the fourth-year corner. Also, while it’s nice Buffalo added Joey Bosa to the pass rush, this is a meeting with one of the most mobile quarterbacks in football. Bosa, Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver can get into the backfield in a blur and still not put hands on Jackson. He’s that elusive.
Derrick Henry should also run effectively in this game. The Bills’ numbers against the run were pretty good in 2024, but that didn’t matter against the Ravens. In two meetings with Buffalo, Henry rushed for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and he also added another receiving touchdown. I don’t have much faith in the Bills stopping him, and they’d be playing with fire if they commit too much to doing so.
As far as the Baltimore defense goes, things should look better in Year 2 with Zach Orr as defensive coordinator, and that’s scary for the rest of the league. Guys should be way more comfortable with what he’s asking of them. Also, the Ravens added some real talent in the offseason. The most noteworthy addition might have been corner Jaire Alexander, who had a 80.7 PFF coverage grade last year. But rookie Malaki Starks should also be a baller at safety right out of the gate.
I don’t think Baltimore is going to lock Buffalo down or anything. I actually lean Over in this game and think both teams will contribute to that. But I trust the Ravens defense to be a little better than the Bills defense, and an extra stop or two should make the difference in a game like this.
It’s also hard not to trust John Harbaugh a little more than Sean McDermott here. For as good as Buffalo has been under McDermott, the team is just 6-9 straight-up as a home underdog with him on the sidelines, according to StatSharp. Meanwhile, Baltimore is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 Sunday Night Football games. The Ravens are also 16-7-2 in their last 25 games when looking for revenge against an opponent, and they’re 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games when playing with more than 13 days of rest. That said, when you give Harbaugh a little extra time, his team usually aces the test.
Ravens vs. Bills Player Props
Mark Andrews Over 44.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
While Andrews’ drop essentially ended Baltimore’s season last year, he isn’t going away anytime soon. He and Jackson have a great rapport in the passing game, and I expect the quarterback to make it a point to build his tight end’s confidence back up immediately. That said, I’m expecting Jackson to target Andrews regularly here, and that makes the 44.5-yard total feel a little light. Before the drop late in that playoff game, Andrews had five catches for 61 yards. So, he’s no stranger to beating this number against this defense. And it doesn’t hurt that Isaiah Likely, the team’s other dangerous pass-catching tight end, won’t play.
Ravens vs. Bills Pick
Not only do I love some of the on-field matchups here, but I never mind being on the same side as the sharps. And this is a game in which the money that has poured in on Baltimore has moved the Ravens from +1.5 in May to -1.5 at the time this story was published. Our Circa Sports betting splits also happen to show a majority of tickets on Buffalo, but the handle says Baltimore. Considering all of that, I’m firing up a play on the Ravens to win outright — and I’m going a little bigger than normal.
Bet: Ravens ML (-115 – 1.5 units)
