One of the most anticipated games of the new NFL season will be the first one played, as the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday. Rams vs. Bills emanates from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the Rams won Super Bowl 56 in February over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the AFC East champion Bills enter the season as the 2023 Super Bowl favorites with odds of 6-1, while the Rams have Super Bowl odds of 12-1 to repeat. The Bills remain in search of their first Lombardi trophy in franchise history, and Thursday’s matchup looms as a potential Super Bowl preview.
Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Bills are 2.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 53 in the latest Bills vs. Rams odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before locking any Rams vs. Bills picks, make sure you check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine football analyst R.J. White.
White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes as SportsLine’s No. 1 expert in NFL picks against the spread. He went 445-378-24 on his ATS picks from 2017-21, which returned $2,542 to $100 players. Moreover, he’s also 44-33 on NFL picks involving the Rams, lending critical insight into this matchup.
White is known for cashing out big in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest twice since 2015. He also cashed big on his NFL futures in 2021, including nailing Jonathan Taylor as the NFL rushing leader at 10-1. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, White has studied the Bills vs. Rams Week 1 matchup from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread selection. You can head to SportsLine now to see White’s pick. Here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Bills vs. Rams:
- Bills vs. Rams point spread: Bills -2.5
- Bills vs. Rams over-under total: 53 points
- Bills vs. Rams money line: Bills -135, Rams +115
- BUF: Bills have covered four of the last five meetings in this rivalry
- LAR: Rams have covered five consecutive season-opening games
- Bills vs. Rams picks: See picks here
Featured Game | Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills
Why the Bills can cover
Although the Bills have come up short of reaching the Super Bowl the past two seasons as quarterback Josh Allen has emerged as one of the game’s biggest stars, the team was grateful that it didn’t have to part with any significant contributors in the offseason. This is a huge accomplishment in a salary-cap sport that rarely sees a core unit stay intact more than a few seasons.
Conversely, the Bills believe they got significantly better with value draft picks and relatively low-priced free agents who could help them get over the top. Sure-handed receiver Jamison Crowder signed a free-agent deal to add depth to an already lethal group of wide receivers. Veteran guard Roger Saffold will help protect Allen and draft pick James Cook is a versatile running back who could emerge as a major contributor in his rookie year. The Bills also signed veteran linebacker Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal. Miller won a Super Bowl MVP with Denver and was considered a key cog in the Rams’ run to a Super Bowl title last season.
Why the Rams can cover
Cooper Kupp is coming off one of the most productive seasons in NFL history for a wide receiver, becoming just the fourth player to ever win the “triple crown” at the position. That is, he led all receivers in catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). The Rams’ stalwart was named to the All-Pro first team for the first time in his career and earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors, among numerous other accolades.
Even so, the 29-year-old says he’s determined to avoid a regression this year and has worked harder than ever in the offseason to improve his strength and conditioning, while continuing to dissect game film to identify potential areas of improvement. Kupp also said he’s going to avoid dwelling on trying to duplicate his numbers from last year and his sole focus is on doing what’s needed to help the Rams win moving forward.
How to make Rams vs. Bills picks
White has analyzed this matchup, and while we can tell you he’s leaning Over on the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Bills vs. Rams in the NFL Kickoff Game 2022? And which X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bills vs. Rams spread you need to jump on, all from the expert who’s 44-33 on Rams picks, and find out.