Rams vs. Bills odds: What you need to know about betting NFL season opener

It has been 207 days since the Los Angeles Rams bested the Cincinnati Bengals in last year’s Super Bowl, but the NFL finally returns for the 2022 opener on Thursday, Sept. 8.

And it will be well worth the wait.

The season opener features the defending champs, as the Rams will host the Buffalo Bills in a potential championship preview. Kickoff is slated for 7:20 p.m. CT and will be televised on NBC, with Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) on the call.

Game 1 of the 2022-23 NFL season is as good of a time as any to dive into sports betting. And you should place your bets at Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports. Sign up today to take advantage of their new-user offer to get your first bet up to $1,250 on Caesars and get in on the action for Week 1.

After you sign up, here is a look at what you need to know before betting on the season opener:

Betting Lines

The Rams might be the defending champs, but they are underdogs in the opener at SoFi Stadium. The Bills, who are my No. 1 ranked team and atop most preseason power rankings, are actually favored by 2.5 points. That might be viewed as disrespectful, but that number is right in line with my projection for this game.

Betting lines have been out for several months for all Week 1 games, and the Rams opened as a 1-point favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. The market has moved in favor of the Bills due to their support along with Matthew Stafford’s health (arm) being up in the air.

As for the total, the mark for this game is currently set at 52 points. There has been plenty of back-and-forth with bettors playing this market. The total got as high as 54 after opening at 52.5, but has seemed to settle at 52 for now.

Betting Trends

The Bills are used to being a favorite. According to SportsOddsHistory, Buffalo went 10-7 against the spread during the regular season last year, including 8-6 as the favorite. The Bills were 11-5 ATS (7-4 as a favorite) in 2020.

Using the lookahead lines provided by Caesars Sportsbook, Buffalo is currently projected to be a betting favorite in every game this season.

The Rams were just 8-8-1 against the spread last season, going 4-4 ATS at home. Overs were more profitable in Rams’ games, with the over coming through 10 different times in the regular season. Bills went 8-8-1 against the closing point total last year.

Injury Report

It is important to know who is healthy and who isn’t when betting a game, especially so early in the season when teams are generally closer to full strength.

Buffalo Bills

• Tre’Davious White, C, Out (Knee)
• Ike Boettger, G, Out (Achilles)
• Andre Smith, LB, Out (Suspension)
• Tommy Doyle, T, Questionable (Foot)
• Quinton Morris, TE, Questionable (Hamstring)

Los Angeles Rams

• Travin Howard, LB, Out (Groin)
• Van Jefferson, WR, Doubtful (Knee)
• Bobby Brown III, DT, Out (Suspension)
• Quentin Lake, DB, Out (Knee)

Weather

Since this game will be played in a dome, it isn’t really necessary to know the weather. According to nflweather.com, it will be 85 degrees and mostly cloudy at kickoff for the season opener.

This can be a good resource to use when betting games that are not played in a dome.

Best Bet

You can be as disciplined as you want, but it is hard to not have action on the first game of the new NFL season. Fortunately for you, I have a bet that I’ve already placed and willing to recommend for those needing a play.

I’m on the over (52) for this Rams-Bills showdown. Sean McVay recently told reporters that he doesn’t expect any limitations with Stafford, who ranked sixth in total EPA (expected points added) last year and should find holes in this depleted Buffalo secondary. Receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II are in position to start the season on a high note.

It is also easy to back the Bills’ offense, a unit that ranks fourth in all of football via Pro Football Focus. For comparison, the Rams are fifth in that same category. Quarterback Josh Allen went scorched earth in the playoffs last winter, posting the highest EPA/play in the postseason. Allen demonstrated that he’s a game-breaker at the position when at his best.

The Bills were not a consistent team in the regular season last year, but they did a good job of cashing overs on a regular basis. Let’s bank on that being the case in the 2022 opener, when both teams are looking to put on a show.

Bet: Over 52