Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Week 1 of the NFL season will kick things off on Thursday night with a heavyweight non-conference showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams. Coverage begins from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Updated on 04/26/2024

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BUFFALO BILLS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING PREDICTION

The Bills won their second straight AFC East title with a record of 11-6 last season, which was a much closer race than most anticipated, as the Patriots (10-7) finished just one game behind Buffalo in the division standings; while the third-placed Dolphins (9-8) came in just one game behind New England. However, Buffalo set the record straight in the postseason, as the Bills stomped New England 47-17 in the opening round of last year’s playoffs; and then went toe-to-toe with Kansas City and forced overtime in a Divisional Round shootout, but ultimately lost 42-36 in heartbreaking fashion.

The Rams also claimed their second straight division title last season, as L. A. won the NFC West with a record of 12-5, which topped Arizona (11-6) by one game, and San Francisco (10-7) by two games to lock down the fourth-seed in the conference; but the Cardinals and Niners also secured Wild Card spots and they both took another crack at L. A. in the playoffs. However, the Rams were the best in the west from start-to-finish last year; and when it mattered most, they were the best in the entire league, as L. A. steamrolled Arizona 34-11 on Wild Card Weekend, which was followed by consecutive three-point victories over the Buccaneers (W, 30-27) and Niners (W, 20-17), before culminating in the biggest three-point victory of them all against the Bengals in Super Bowl 56 (W, 23-20).

The Rams (27 OPPG) and Bills (29.8 OPPG) were two of the top-scoring offenses in the league last season, however, Buffalo (18.3 DPPG) and L. A. (21.3 DPPG) also posted top-ten defensive clip throughout the year too. I’ll take the under here, as the Bills’ offense scored just 16 PTS in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers last season; and with reports from Rams’ camp suggesting QB Matt Stafford is dealing with some lingering elbow soreness, I’m not expecting a 50-point shootout between these teams on opening night.

Score Prediction: Bills 26, Rams 20
Best Bet: Under 52.5 (-110)

BUFFALO BILLS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING ODDS

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BUFFALO BILLS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022
Matchup: AFC East vs. NFC West
Venue: SoFi Stadium
Location: Inglewood, CA
Time-TV: NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET

BUFFALO BILLS BETTING ANALYSIS

Buffalo was up-and-down throughout the early parts of last season, as the Bills posted a relatively lackluster 7-6 record through the first 14 weeks of the year; but their offense eventually caught fire down the homestretch and they cruised to an AFC East title with a 4-0 run to close out the regular season.

For most of the year, Buffalo rode the coattail of its defense, as the Bills’ defense kept them afloat by ranking first the league in both scoring and total yardage throughout last season (18.3 DPPG, 289 YPG); however, their offense turned things around down in the back-half and ended up finishing third in scoring and fifth in total yardage (29.8 OPPG, 389 YPG), which was nearly a Super Bowl caliber formula.

Buffalo played excellent in the postseason too, as Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense tallied 41.5 OPPG on 452 YPG across their pair of playoff matchups against the Patriots and Chiefs. However, the Bills campaign came to an abrupt halt in the Divisional Round against Kansas City, as the Chiefs won the coin toss prior to overtime and cashed in for six on the ensuing drive, stripping Buffalo’s red-hot offense of an opportunity to match in the extra stanza. So, now the Bills have been sitting on heartbreak all offseason, anxiously awaiting a chance to solidify themselves as a legitimate title threat, and a road win over the defending champs in Week 1 would certainly do that.

LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Rams won the NFC West with a record of 12-5 last season, and eventually went on to knock off Cincinnati in the Super Bowl. However, Los Angeles didn’t dominate throughout the year, as the Rams’ offense finished the year ranked sixth in scoring and seventh in total yardage (27 OPPG, 373 YPG); and defensively, they ranked ninth in scoring and 13^th in total yardage (21.3 DPPG, 333 YPG); which certainly aren’t shameful numbers, but typically don’t indicate championship contention.

Los Angeles didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in the playoffs either, as the Rams scored 24.3 OPPG and allowed 21.3 DPPG across their final three postseason matchups against the Buccaneers, Niners, and Bengals; resulting in narrow three-point wins in all three affairs.

When healthy, Los Angeles is the cream of the crop in the NFC, and in the grand scheme of things, Stafford’s lingering elbow injury doesn’t concern me all that much; but in matchups against offensive powerhouses like Buffalo, the Rams can’t afford to be significantly handicapped at QB, so it does worry me a bit in heavyweight battles like Thursday.

BUFFALO BILLS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING TRENDS

• The Bills are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games.
• The Rams are 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in five of Buffalo's last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of the Rams' last six games.
• The Bills are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Rams.
• The total has gone OVER in eight of the Rams' last nine games against Buffalo.
• The total has gone OVER in four of Buffalo's last five road games.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of the Rams' last seven home games.
• The Rams are 5-0 ATS in their last five games played in Week 1.
• The Bills are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games played in Week 1.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson