The 2022 NFL regular season kicks off with a potential Super Bowl preview when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 8. The Rams are coming off their second Super Bowl title in franchise history after beating the Cincinnati Bengals in February. Although most sportsbooks list Los Angeles among the top-five favorites in the 2023 Super Bowl odds, the Bills are currently the standalone favorites at 6-1. They saw their playoff run come up short last season in a wild 42-36 overtime loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City. 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
The Bills are widely expected to have an even more explosive passing game this year as a handful of younger players who contributed last year are now asked to thrive in key roles. In the offseason, the team parted ways with reliable veteran slot receiver Cole Beasley and veteran deep threat Emmanuel Sanders, both of whom had been stalwarts for the club. But the Buffalo coaching staff and countless football observers are excited about the potential of their replacements, Isaiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis.
When Beasley missed Week 16 last season because of COVID-19 protocols, McKenzie stepped up with 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. The speedy Davis emerged as a big-play threat down the stretch and secured his role in the starting rotation with one of the most memorable postseason performances for a receiver. The Central Florida product finished with 35 catches for 549 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season, but made a lasting impression with his playoff performances. Davis had eight catches on 10 targets for 201 yards and four touchdowns in Buffalo’s 42-36 loss to Kansas City in the divisional round.
Why the Rams can cover
Coach Sean McVay recently told the media the team expects to have its top tandem of Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson at full health for the season-opener after both missed significant time last season. Akers, who is expected to be the lead running back, missed most of last year with a torn ACL, but returned ahead of schedule for the team’s postseason run. He logged 172 rushing yards and added eight catches for 76 yards.
Henderson was effective when healthy, but ended up missing the final five games of the season because of recurring soft-tissue injuries in the lower body. He still managed 149 carries for 688 yards and five touchdowns and added 176 receiving yards and three scores. After watching both running backs go through a series of full practices, McVay told the media he was excited about what he saw. “They look good. They got a few reps and that was a good thing. I expect all hands on deck,” McVay said.
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.
