The Lions and Bills meet Thursday night for the first time since a December 2024 game that produced 90 points, and it is the rare NFL matchup with almost no recent history to draw on. Because they sit in opposite conferences, Detroit and Buffalo only land on each other’s schedule every few years, so the last two meetings are the whole modern story.
Recent Meetings
| Date | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 15, 2024 | Bills 48, Lions 42 | 90 combined points and more than 1,000 yards of offense |
| Nov. 24, 2022 | Bills 28, Lions 25 | Thanksgiving in Detroit, decided by a late Buffalo field goal |
| Sept. 17, 2026 | Thursday Night Football | First regular season game at the new Highmark Stadium |
Buffalo has won the last two. The 2024 game is the one people remember: Josh Allen and Jared Goff traded scores all afternoon, and it set the tone for how oddsmakers see Thursday, with the total at 53.5 to 55, the highest of the young season.
Why They Rarely Play
AFC and NFC teams rotate onto each other’s schedules on a four year cycle by division, with an extra interconference game each season based on the prior year’s standings. That leaves the Lions and Bills meeting only a handful of times a decade, which is why Thursday is just the third meeting in five seasons and why there is so little recent tape between them.
The Buffalo Connection to Detroit
Ford Field has served as Buffalo’s emergency home before. In November 2022, a lake effect snowstorm forced the Bills’ home game against Cleveland to be moved to Detroit, and the Bills played in Detroit again days later on Thanksgiving against the Lions. Thursday’s game moves the series to a building that was built specifically so snow never relocates a Bills home game again.
What to Expect Thursday
Both teams are 1-0 after wins in games that went over 60 points. Buffalo is favored by 4.5 to 5.5 and Detroit is missing two starting offensive linemen. See the prediction and odds pages for the full breakdown.
Related
How to watch · New Highmark Stadium facts · Injury report · NFL standings
The Bottom Line
Buffalo has won the last two meetings, 48-42 in 2024 and 28-25 on Thanksgiving 2022. Thursday is the first meeting at the new Highmark Stadium.