Patriots-Bills point total comes down considerably due to wind in weather forecast

The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots in a must-win Week 8 game for both teams. The 5-1 Bills lead the division and could take as much as a 2.5 game lead with a win, while the 2-4 Patriots need to avoid falling out of the race entirely.

This game is going to be impacted by a fairly significant weather development. The forecast calls for a significant weather front coming through much of the day. There rain and a chance of thunderstorms, with temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s. More importantly, the National Weather Service forecast includes wins of 20 to 23 miles per hour and gusts as high as 44 mph.

The rain and cold are notable, but the wind is what will create the real issues in this game — and oddsmakers know that. DraftKings Sportsbook opened the point total at 45, but as of game day morning, that number has come down to 40.5.

This was already going to be a bit of a bruiser between these two rivals, and the Patriots passing game was already shorthanded with Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry sidelined for the game. The weather reinforces the need to focus on the ground.

If you got the under early in the week, you’re in good shape. If you’re looking at the under now, you might have missed the boat. If you’ve got Bills or Patriots running backs, they’re strong fantasy football options.