The first game of an NFL season has typically involved the defending Super Bowl champion and a team that made a deep run in the playoffs the previous year. Count 2022’s NFL Kickoff game in this group too.
The Super Bowl 56 champion Los Angeles Rams will host the NFL’s regular-season opener on Thursday, September 8, welcoming an AFC contender in the Buffalo Bills.
While Buffalo failed to reach last year’s AFC Championship Game, they were downed in the previous round in a wild, historic, back-and-forth clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
This Week 1 showdown of elite NFL teams will pique the interest of football fans and bettors alike. Read on for our Bills vs Rams best bets for the first game of the new NFL season.
Bills vs Rams Odds
Bills vs Rams NFL odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook and are current as of Wednesday, July 13.
- Moneyline: Bills (-110) vs Rams (-110)
- Spread: Pick’em
- Over/Under: Over 52 (-110), Under 52 (-110)
- Implied Score: Bills 26, Rams 26
Bills vs Rams Prediction
Bills vs Rams Score Pick
Rams 31, Bills 26
The home team usually has the advantage in Week 1, and that is especially true for the opening game of the season. With the Rams hanging a championship banner at SoFi Stadium, the atmosphere should be fantastic and give Los Angeles an edge.
Both of these teams are incredibly talented and are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year. Still, the Rams are the better bet here at home.
Expect the game to be close, but for the Rams to ultimately get the win.
Bills vs Rams Best Bets
Rams Moneyline (-110)
WAGER: 1 Unit
With this game currently listed as a pick’em on most sportsbooks, the best bet here is to just take the Rams to win outright at home for all the reasons mentioned above.
The home team has won seven of the last nine NFL Kickoff games and the Bills have historically been slow starters under Sean McDermott when they aren’t facing divisional opponents.
Taking the Rams on the moneyline at (-110) is just too good of value to pass on early in the season, making this our NFL pick of the day.
Over 52.5 Total Points (-110)
WAGER: 1 Unit
During the 2021 season, both the Bills and the Rams finished inside the top eight in points scored. And while the Bills also had the No. 1 scoring defense, these two teams are built around their explosive offenses.
With the point total being set at only 52.5 points, the Over seems like a good bet in this contest. Over the last two years, we’ve seen both season-opening contests soar over this total (54 in 2020 and 60 in 2021). These games are usually high-scoring, especially when both teams have superstars at quarterback.
Look for both offenses to start off hot and for the Over to hit in Los Angeles to kick off the 2022 season.