- 1 Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions: 1991, the last time the Lions won in Buffalo
- 2 Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen and a season they cannot waste
- 3 Detroit Lions: looking to bounce back after a missed year
- 4 NFL Prediction Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your job
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions: 1991, the last time the Lions won in Buffalo 
Detroit have not won in Buffalo since 1991, when they nicked a 17-14 overtime victory. Thirty-five years on, they are back to open a brand-new stadium.
Kick-off for this Thursday Night Football clash is set for 02:15 CEST, in the early hours of Friday 18 September. The game opens Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season and will be shown on Amazon Prime Video.
This one is bigger than the football. It is the first game ever played at the new Highmark Stadium. After years of building work, the franchise gets a national showcase for the opening act.
Both teams come in on short rest, just four days after their season openers. Buffalo were on the road to the Houston Texans on Sunday, while Detroit hosted the New Orleans Saints.
Last season tells its own story. Buffalo finished 12-5, second in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots, who went on to win the conference.
Detroit had a tougher year, ending up 9-8 and missing the playoffs. The NFC North remains one of the league’s most competitive divisions.
Expect fireworks from two attacks that can light up the scoreboard. Their last meeting, in December 2024, ended 48-42.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen and a season they cannot waste 
Buffalo wrapped up last regular season with 12 wins from 17 games. That record puts the franchise among the AFC’s steadiest outfits over the past decade.
And yet it led nowhere. Second place in the AFC East again meant watching the Patriots take the conference crown. The ceiling has not moved in years.
Josh Allen remains the engine of this side and arrives as the league’s reigning MVP. No one else on the roster has anything like his influence on the outcome of a game.
The 2026 schedule is seen as softer than last year’s, which only raises the pressure. Buffalo are openly chasing the division title again.
Opening the new stadium at home adds a real emotional edge. A packed house, prime time, a national audience. It is exactly the kind of night visiting teams hate.
History is on Buffalo’s side too. Detroit have not won here in 35 years, and the teams have not met in Buffalo since 2018, when the Bills won 14-13.
The short turnaround from Week 1 to Thursday night also favours the home side. No travel, no time-zone shift, and a trimmed-down prep window is easier to handle at home.
The key battle is whether Buffalo’s defence can slow Detroit on the ground. That was the weak spot when these teams shot out to that 48-42 game in December 2024.
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Detroit Lions: looking to bounce back after a missed year 
Detroit finished last regular season with nine wins and eight defeats. It was not enough for a playoff place, and it left a mark in the locker room.
So 2026 begins with an urgent need for a reply. In a fiercely contested NFC North, every game feels like two.
The Lions’ attack is still their calling card, and the main reason this should be one of Week 2’s highest-scoring games. Not many fixtures in this round carry this much shootout potential.
Their last trip to Buffalo was in 2018 and ended in a 14-13 defeat. This corner of New York has never exactly been a happy hunting ground.
More broadly, Detroit have not beaten Buffalo since 2006, when they won 20-17 at home. That makes it a 20-year run without a victory over the Bills, home or away.
The December 2024 meeting showed they can keep pace, though. Putting up 42 points against this team is no small thing, even in defeat.
Thursday night does make life harder for the road side. Four days’ recovery after a Week 1 game leaves little room for tactical tweaks.
The key will be handling the noise and the occasion. Spoiling a stadium opening takes a sharp start and a cool head.
NFL Prediction Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions
Our pick: Buffalo Bills to win
Detroit have not beaten Buffalo since 2006 and have not won in Buffalo since 1991. A run that long is no accident.
Buffalo went 12-5 last season to Detroit’s 9-8, and they have the reigning MVP at quarterback. The gap is real, on paper and in the head-to-head record.
The opening of the new Highmark Stadium adds a layer of edge that Detroit will have to deal with after only four days of recovery and a trip on the road.
The Bills should get it done at home. The bet is on the better side, in familiar surroundings, on a night they have had circled for years.
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