Best Betting Odds for Bills vs Rams NFL Week 1

SoFi Stadium hosts the opening kickoff of the 2022 NFL season, the same site last year’s campaign ended. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, square off against the team most sportsbooks favor for that honor this season, the Buffalo Bills. The betting odds for this matchup favor the Bills, making LA home underdogs to start the season.

Buffalo finished last season falling short of their ultimate goal in what many view as the greatest playoff game of all-time. The Rams, meanwhile, went on to win Super Bowl LVI in a thrilling contest. The Bills, though, enter the 2022 NFL season as the betting favorites for Super Bowl LVII.

The betting odds for this contest favor the Bills on the road in Los Angeles, but the Rams could see a boost from the home crowd and the pre-game celebration. 

Betting odds for this Bills-Rams opening night matchup shifted considerably during the preseason. Buffalo opened as 1-point underdogs for this game, but are now the minus-2.5 favorites following news of Matthew Stafford’s elbow injury. Stafford, though, remains on track for opening night. 

Bettors expect this Bills-Rams game to be a high-scoring matchup, as evidenced by the recent three-point bump to the betting odds total. In seven of the last eight meetings between these teams, at least one has scored 30 or more points.

Sportsbooks throughout New York state and the U.S. place the Bills at the top of their Super Bowl odds board. Many sportsbooks see this game as a potential Super Bowl LVII preview. 

DraftKings lists this matchup high on their Super Bowl Exact Result betting prop. Odds for the Bills beating Los Angeles in Super Bowl LVII stand at +4500. The same is true for the Rams winning over Buffalo (+4500). 

The Bills finished as one of the NFL’s top teams least season on both sides of the ball. Buffalo ranked third in the NFL in points per game last season (29.8), while ranking first in scoring defense (17.0). Football analysts also hold Buffalo in high esteem heading into the season and aren’t dismissing the Rams either. 

While the Bills will be without All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White, another All-Pro member of their defensive backfield, safety Jordan Poyer, should be on the field on Thursday against the Rams. Although the Bills upgraded their pass rush this offseason with the addition of former Rams edge Vonn Miller, the loss of White thrusts rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam in a prominent role against an accomplished passing attack. 

Cooper Kupp led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16) last season before earning Super Bowl MVP honors. The Rams also added Allen Robinson II in free agency. Without White, the Bills will turn to Dane Jackson, who made six starts from them last season, and Taron Johnson, one of the top slot corners in the game. 

Stafford led the NFL with 17 interceptions last season, so Buffalo’s secondary should have game-changing opportunities. 

MVP frontrunner Josh Allen looks to build upon a 2021 season where he posted 4,407 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. He’ll look for his favorite target, Stefon Diggs, who made 103 grabs for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns. Diggs likely draws Rams corner Jalen Ramsey in coverage. 

Allen sees one of the top pass-rush units opposite him in this one, as the Rams registered the third-most sacks last season (50). Allen used his legs to avoid sacks last year, going down just 26 times, second-fewest in the NFL, but he’ll face perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald in this one. LA also upgraded its linebacker corps for 2022 with the addition of former Seattle Seahawk Bobby Wagner. 

Several betting trends affect the odds for this Bills-Rams matchup in Week 1. Buffalo enters this contest 0-9 straight up in its last nine games against defending Super Bowl champs. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has covered the spread in each of its last seven home openers. 

What’s more, reigning champions sport a 10-5-1 mark against the spread in weekday season openers over the last 16 years. 

The Rams went 3-0 straight up and against the spread as underdogs last season, and have a 7-3 ATS mark as ‘dogs since 2020.  

The Bills went 3-2 against the spread as road favorites in 2021, and hold a 13-6-2 ATS record in non-conference games under head coach Sean McDermott. Buffalo sports a 4-1 mark against the spread in the last five games against the Rams. 

The Bills put up nearly 30 points per game last season and averaged 33.8 in their final six contests. The Rams went 0-4 both straight up and against the spread when surrendering 28 points or more last season. 

The Over cashed in four of the last five meetings between these clubs. The Rams saw the Over hit in each of their last five September games and in seven of their last eight home openers. The Over also hit in eight of the last nine games LA closed as an underdog. 

Buffalo’s seen the over in four of its last five road games and in five of its last seven games overall.