3 Picks for Thursday Night's NFL Kick-Off Game

The Rams welcome the Bills for the opening game of the 2022/23 NFL season and the first Thursday Night Football. It’s the perfect way to start the season which pits last year’s two Superbowl contenders against each other. 

So, which way will it go, what do the sportsbooks say, and where should your money go?

Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams Preview

Matthew Stafford returns for the Rams and will be confident of another playoff run and another shot at the Super Bowl. He can look to a stacked offense to get over the line and start the season with a bang.

Aaron Donald will prove to be a key figure in defense and the Rams will head into this one with their heads held high. They are the current champs, after all.

As for the Bills, it’s theirs to lose this year. Josh Allen will look to Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs to play a key role and he also has the promising James Cook at running back. The Bills arguably have the best offense heading into the 2022 season, but the Rams aren’t too far behind. 

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an equally unstoppable force? Only time will tell, but it’ll be fun to watch.

Odds and Betting Lines

As at the time of writing (Wednesday Morning) The Bills are the slight favorites for the win and the spread is -2.5 in their favor. As for the totals market, it’s set at 52.5 for the Over/Under, which is the second highest for the entire opening game week after the Chiefs and Cardinals.

Winning Margin bets favor a Bills victory by between 1 and 6 while the score markets suggest we’ll see a quick touchdown, most likely to the Bills.

Betting Picks

We think that the Rams Moneyline could be a good bet here. They have home-field advantage and the home team has won 7 of the last 9 opening NFL games. The Rams don’t have a great history against the Bills; they are 4-8 when you exclude the SuperBowl game. We think this is pretty irrelevant given the line up changes that have occurred over that 4-8 history.  

We feel stronger about the Over Game Total here also. The strength of both offenses, combined with the first-game uncertainties, makes the Over a great shout. At 52.5, it’s a pretty high line, but it’s one that they should be able to cross. 

If you’re looking to take more of a risk, find some Alternative Totals markets. We’re expecting to see at least 55 points here and it could easily end with over 60 and even over 65 points scored.