Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

Week 5 brings a classic AFC East rivalry to the spotlight as the New England Patriots head into hostile territory to face the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 5.

Buffalo has looked every bit the juggernaut so far, storming out to a 4-0 start and sitting comfortably atop the division. Fresh off a 31-19 victory over the Saints, the Bills now turn their attention to a stretch that includes Atlanta and Carolina after this clash.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are trying to keep pace at 2-2, holding second place in the division. New England is coming in hot, fresh off a statement-making 42-13 thrashing of Carolina. But the Pats have a brutal stretch ahead with the Saints and Titans on deck, making this trip to Buffalo a real test of how far Mike Vrabel's side has come.

Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots kick-off time

NFL

Highmark Stadium

The Bills and the Patriots will meet in Week 5 of the NFL season at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Sunday, October 5, starting at 8:20 pm ET.

Team news & squads

Buffalo Bills team news

Buffalo, on the other hand, looks like a well-oiled machine on both sides of the ball. The Bills are averaging a blistering 33.3 points per contest, while their defense has clamped down to just 22.5 points allowed per game. 

Any conversation about the Bills has to kick off with Josh Allen, a quarterback who doesn’t really need the preamble. Since stepping into the starting job as a rookie back in 2018, Allen has evolved into arguably the most dangerous signal-caller in the league—a human cheat code who can torch you through the air or bulldoze you on the ground.

But the Bills aren't just Allen-or-bust anymore. Behind James Cook, Buffalo's ground game has been rolling downhill like a freight train. They lead the NFL in rushing at 163.5 yards per contest, almost ten yards clear of the next-best team, the Washington Commanders. Cook has been flat-out relentless, stacking three straight 100-yard rushing performances and finding the end zone on the ground in eight consecutive games, a streak that's already etched his name in the franchise record book. 

And don't forget about Buffalo's passing attack. The wideout tandem of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir has quietly become the heartbeat of this aerial offense, pacing the team in targets, receptions, and yards. Add in the tight end pairing of Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, and you’ve got a passing game that’s loaded with versatility. Supporting it all is an offensive line that doesn’t just hold up in pass protection—it bullies people in the run game too.

Defensively, this unit is built to cause chaos. Up front, the Bills are anchored by Ed Oliver, the disruptive defensive tackle who’s been shelved the last three games with an ankle injury. He’s back on the practice field, albeit in a limited role, and his return would be a massive boost to a line that already features the freakish length of Greg Rousseau and the pass-rushing pedigree of offseason pick Joey Bosa. Matt Milano is the heartbeat of the second level.

Bills injury report: Cameron Johnston, P - IR , Ed Oliver, DT - Questionable , Matt Milano, LB - Questionable , Spencer Brown, OT - Questionable , Tyler Pass, K - IR

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New England Patriots team news

The New England Patriots have been middle-of-the-pack on offense so far in 2025, putting up 27.3 points per game through four weeks. Where they’ve been more consistent is on the defensive side, holding opponents to just over 20 points a game. 

The Patriots' practice field in Foxborough had its fair share of absences on Wednesday. K’Lavon Chaisson (outside linebacker) and Jaylinn Hawkins (safety) were nowhere to be seen, while inside linebacker Jahlani Tavai was finally back in action after a month on injured reserve, his 21-day return window officially opening. Alongside him, the injury report still listed Will Campbell (shoulder), Mike Onwenu (shoulder), and Marte Mapu (neck). The encouraging news for New England? Four players managed to go through full sessions despite nagging ailments, including a couple of starting offensive linemen.

And then there's Drake Maye, who has been nothing short of sensational to start his rookie campaign. The former first-round pick has been carving defenses with a surgeon’s precision, leading the entire NFL with a jaw-dropping 74% completion rate through four weeks. At 2-2, the Patriots are keeping their heads above water largely because of Maye's steady hand and calm presence.

But here’s where the rubber meets the road. Maye hasn’t yet run into a buzzsaw quite like the Buffalo secondary. The Bills are suffocating quarterbacks right now, giving up a league-low 125.8 passing yards per game. To put it plainly, Maye is about to face his stiffest test since Week 1—when Buffalo outlasted Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Patriots injury report: Jared Wilson, C - Questionable , Layden Robinson, G - IR , Jahlani Tavai, LB - IR-R , Isaiah Iton, DT - IR , Deneric Prince, RB - IR

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Watch and live stream Bills vs Patriots in the USA

The Bills vs Patriots game in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live on NBC. Fans can catch the coverage onPeacock and Fubo (Try for free today!).

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More details on where to watch the game in the United States, including streaming options, will be released soon, so keep an eye out for our dedicated coverage.

Watch and live stream Bills vs Patriots worldwide

For fans outside the U.S. looking to stay plugged into the action,NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the ultimate ticket. It serves up more than 200 regular-season and playoff matchups, complete Super Bowl coverage, plus access to NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and plenty more to keep you locked in all year long.

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To bypass regional restrictions or to access the game if you are travelling abroad, you can watch the action using a Virtual Private Network like ExpressVPN.

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How to buy Bills vs Patriots tickets

The showdown between the Bills and the Patriots is set for Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, a venue that packs in up to 71,608 fans and promises a fiery atmosphere on game day.

Tickets are already up for grabs on StubHub, with entry starting at $386. From there, prices climb through the tiers — $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, and stretching all the way into the premium ranges of $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, and topping out at $10,406 for the best seats in the house.

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Bills vs Patriots Fantasy Football

Josh Allen looked every bit the superstar again, rolling to a QB7 finish with 24.9 fantasy points. He carved up the defense with surgical precision, completing 72.7% of his throws (16-of-22) for 209 yards (9.5 Y/A) and a pair of scores through the air. 

Sure, he finally tossed his first pick of the year, but let's not overreact—he balanced it out with 45 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground. That's vintage Allen: even when he "stumbles," he still looks like one of the most unstoppable forces at the position. Three out of four games above 70% completion and three top-seven QB weeks? He’s locked in as an elite QB1—you draft him, you ride him, you don’t overthink it.

James Cook is flat-out cooking. The young back has opened the season with touch counts of 18, 22, 22, and now 25, and he's turned that volume into 135 yards and a touchdown this week. He's not just getting fed, he's owning the kitchen. The past two games, Cook has commanded over 85% of Buffalo's backfield touches, which is bell cow territory. With his workload and red-zone equity, he’s not a “maybe” start—he’s a front-end RB1 every single week.

Khalil Shakir continues to pop up as a sneaky contributor, hauling in all five of his targets for 69 yards and a score. That’s back-to-back weeks with touchdowns, though let’s pump the brakes, neither play screamed "repeatable." Still, when you’re looking for a steady floor option, Shakir fits the WR4/FLEX bill in PPR formats, and in single-game DFS he’s got enough juice to pay off.

Over in New England, Drake Maye is quietly stacking strong outings. He wasn't asked to shoulder the offense Sunday, but he was ruthlessly efficient—14-of-17 for 203 yards (a ridiculous 11.9 Y/A), two passing touchdowns, and a rushing score for good measure. That’s three straight QB1 fantasy weeks for the rookie. There's more week-to-week volatility baked into Maye than a seasoned vet like Allen, but given the chaos at the QB position right now (injuries, byes, inconsistency everywhere), he's absolutely in the upside QB1 conversation.

The Patriots’ backfield, on the other hand, was a horror show. Rhamondre Stevenson saw 10 touches, rookie TreVeyon Henderson got 9, and Antonio Gibson mixed in with 6. All three had shots inside the 10, which is maddening for fantasy managers. This is a true three-headed headache, everyone's a touchdown-or-bust FLEX at best. The only silver lining? The upcoming matchup is soft, so if you’re desperate, chasing one of them isn’t insane.

And finally, Stefon Diggs. After a few weeks of easing him into the offense, the Bills finally cut him loose. If this expanded role sticks, it changes the whole complexion of Buffalo’s passing attack.

Bills vs Patriots Game Predictions

The silver lining for the New England Patriots heading into Sunday Night Football is that their secondary suddenly looks a whole lot sturdier with Christian Gonzalez back in uniform. On top of that, Josh McDaniels might be able to lean on his backfield duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, especially against a Buffalo defense that’s been leaking yards on the ground—164 per game at a clip of over six per carry. If there's a blueprint for an upset under the bright lights, that’s it.

But let's not kid ourselves. Betting against Josh Allen right now feels like lighting your money on fire. The Bills' superstar quarterback has been shredding defenses, sidestepping pass rushers like they're traffic cones, and punishing secondaries that dare to test him. So far, nobody's been able to slow the Buffalo.

Sure, New England is fresh off a confidence-boosting win over the Panthers, but let's be honest—the Panthers aren't the Bills. Unless the Patriots suddenly find an offensive rhythm they've yet to show all season, this matchup feels less like a toss-up and more like another notch on Allen's belt.

Bills vs Patriots Betting Odds

Spread

Patriots +7.5 (-110)

Bills -7.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Patriots +325

Bills -425

Total

OVER 49.5 (-115)

UNDER 49.5 (-105)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

BUF

Last 5 matches

NE

3

Wins

0

Draws

2

Wins

• New England Patriots

  23

  -

  16

  Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo Bills

  24

  -

  21

  New England Patriots

• Buffalo Bills

  27

  -

  21

  New England Patriots

• New England Patriots

  29

  -

  25

  Buffalo Bills

• Buffalo Bills

  35

  -

  23

  New England Patriots

Useful links

• Bills 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Patriots 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• How to watch and live stream NFL football for free and without cable
• 2025 fantasy football rankings: Running back (RB) | Wide receiver (WR) | Tight end (TE) | Quarterback (QB)