Saints vs Bills: Who are the experts picking in Week 12?

The New Orleans Saints-Buffalo Bills Thanksgiving matchup is one you may not want to turn off at halftime. NFL experts unanimously picked the Bills to win, but the score could be closer than you think.

Plenty isn’t working in the Saints’ favor.

Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram are both dealing with knee injuries, and neither could be ready for Thursday night. Adam Trautman will also miss the game due to injury, which may not have a totally adverse effect on the team.

Trevor Siemian could continue throwing picks against a tough Bills secondary, and basically, anything that could go wrong, could.

Here’s what the experts have to say about Week 12:

Expert picks for New Orleans Saints vs. Buffalo Bills

• Alex Buck (Pro Football Network) – Bills 35, Saints 24
• Anthony Cervino (The Game Day) – Bills 27, Saints 24
• Brad Gagnon (Bleacher Report) – Bills 28, Saints 17
• Vincent Frank (Sportsnaut) – Bills 31, Saints 20

The upside is almost all experts believe the Saints have enough offense left in them to get at least two scores. Still, there’s a good chance most of their scores will come in the fourth quarter, unfortunately.

Of all the experts, Alex Buck is the one who suggests the score could be more unpredictable than people think:

"I like the game to be a little closer if Kamara can go, but he’s not expected to be available. Without him, it’s a patchwork offensive game plan for the Saints, but the Bills can concede some points. I think the game might be more fun than we’re expecting."

Bleacher Report’s Gagnon offers the most negative outlook:

"The Bills have had their issues with elite running backs, but Alvin Kamara is far from 100 percent for the Saints, and interim starting quarterback Trevor Siemian has come back to earth."

We’re not exactly sure how the phrase “come back to earth” applies since Siemian has been playing the same bland brand of football since he’s started for the Saints.

Gagnon also believes this game should have been a seven-plus-point spread, especially considering that the Saints’ three-game losing streak has decimated team morale. It’s a reasonable take.

In any case, the experts have a point: the Saints may be without their No. 1 running back, No. 1 tight end, and O-line bookends in Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead. That already gives them huge handicaps against a Super Bowl contender who is looking for someone to beat up after a particularly bad loss in Week 11.

This will be possibly the toughest game the Saints have to play all season.