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          Buffalo Bills 2022 schedule: Prime-time spotlight will shine on Super Bowl favorites 

          • Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNMay 13, 2022, 12:53 AM
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              Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.

          BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills' 2022 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.

          The 2022 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Bills vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ESPN opens its schedule with Monday Night Football on Sept. 12 featuring the Denver Broncos at the Seattle Seahawks.

          The NFL expanded to 17 regular-season games last season. The final regular-season games for the 2022 season will be played Jan. 8, 2023. The playoffs begin Jan. 14 and continue through Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

          Here's what's in store for the Bills:

          Schedule

          Sept. 8: at Rams (TNF)

          Sept. 19: vs. Titans (MNF)

          Sept. 25: at Dolphins

          Oct. 2: at Ravens

          Oct. 9: vs. Steelers

          Oct. 16: at Chiefs

          Oct. 23: Bye

          Oct. 30: vs. Packers (SNF)

          Nov. 6: at Jets

          Nov. 13: vs Vikings

          Nov. 20: vs. Browns

          Nov. 24: at Lions (Thanksgiving)

          Dec. 1: at Patriots (TNF)

          Dec. 11: vs. Jets

          Dec. 17/18: vs. Dolphins

          Dec. 24: at Bears

          Jan. 2: at Bengals (MNF)

          Jan. 7/8: vs. Patriots

          Strength of schedule: T-12th, .512

          Biggest takeaway

          All eyes are on the Bills this year in a very big way. Buffalo’s schedule starts with two prime-time games as part of the maximum five prime-time games they will take part in. The Bills will have a second straight appearance on Thanksgiving and already have the opportunity for more of their games to be flexed to a national audience. In the years leading up to the Bills drafting Josh Allen, it was rare to see them in a prime slot. Now, in part due to being Super Bowl favorites per Caesars Sportsbook at +700, Buffalo has become a key team to watch.

          Revenge game

          At the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 16. It's the rivalry that led to an overtime rule change in the offseason. The Chiefs have knocked the Bills out of the playoffs the last two years, so this matchup will continue to be a revenge game until the Bills can get past the Chiefs in the postseason. This time the Bills head back to Kansas City in one of the biggest games of their season based on the history and potential playoff implications. This will be the teams’ third-straight regular-season meeting with each taking a game on the road during that stretch.

          What the oddsmakers think

          The oddsmakers have the Bills' win total at 11.5. Buffalo won 11 games last year but should have won even more. The 2022 Bills should win more than 11. This roster is better than in 2021, thanks to the additions made throughout the offseason, most notably Von Miller. The AFC East improved around the Bills and the schedule has tough games in every portion, but this roster should win at least 12 games.

          Bold prediction

          The Bills winning the AFC East for a third straight year is not a bold prediction. That’s a trend. Instead, look to the tough start of the season. The first seven games feature five playoff teams from last year and the Ravens and Dolphins on the road. No easy feat, but Buffalo will get through that stretch going at least 5-2 and set up the team well for the rest of the slate.