Bills vs. Rams 2022 NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview & Pick

By Hank Blaine • September 6, 2022

The 2022 NFL season kicks off per usual with the reigning Super Bowl champions hosting the Kickoff Game. This year, that’s the Los Angeles Rams as they welcome to SoFi Stadium, which is where the 2021 season ended with LA’s Super Bowl 56 win over Cincinnati.

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, NFL odds, and special features for the entire duration of the 2022 NFL season. This time, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Week 1 divisional showdown between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams.

Bills vs. Rams Game Information

Hey Thursday…

Get here sooner ???? #BUFvsLAR pic.twitter.com/heWL2To8NI
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 5, 2022

When: Thursday, September 8, 2022, 8:20 PM ET
Where: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, OH
TV: NBC
Radio: WGR 550 AM (Bills) // KSPN 710 AM (Rams)
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
NFL Odds: Bills (-2.5) // Rams (+2.5)

Why Bet on the Buffalo Bills?

Buffalo opens the season as the Super Bowl 57 favorite after losing in the Divisional Round of last season’s AFC playoffs in Kansas City – blowing a three-point lead with only 13 seconds left in regulation and losing in OT.

Bills All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer suffered a hyperextended elbow in early August and missed much of the preseason because of it but apparently will be ready to go Thursday. Pro Bowl cornerback Tre’Davious White will miss at least the first four games on the PUP list as he recovers from a torn ACL that ended his 2022 season earlier. White, 27, tallied 41 tackles, one forced fumble and one quarterback pick in 11 games last season. The All-Pro is entering his sixth season with Buffalo after the team selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In his place, the Bills will roll with young guys in cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford.

“They both had good training camps for us,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “We’ll mix it up in the ballgame and see how things are going as the game goes on.”

This will be the first game as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator for Ken Dorsey. He replaced Brian Daboll, who took over as the head coach of the New York Giants. Dorsey’s professional career as a quarterback was short. It lasted five NFL seasons serving mainly as a second or third string quarterback with 17 appearances and 13 starts with the 49ers and Browns.

Why Bet on the Los Angeles Rams?

The last time we saw a game that counted for the Rams, they beat the Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13 – the Rams’ first title representing Los Angeles since 1951. Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp with the winning 1-yard TD pass with 1:25 left. Kupp had another TD catch and was the Super Bowl MVP. Defensively, the Rams sacked Bengals QB Joe Burrow a Super Bowl-record seven times.

Los Angeles did lose one key member of that defense in future Hall of Famer pass rusher Von Miller, who signed with Buffalo for six years and $120 million back in March. After being drafted No. 2 overall in 2011, Miller spent a decade with the Broncos. In 2015, he helped Denver win its third Super Bowl in franchise history, recording 11 sacks and four forced fumbles — three of which he recovered — en route to being named MVP of Super Bowl 50.

Midway through his 11th season with the Broncos, Miller was traded to Los Angeles in exchange for a second and third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He made the most of his limited season with the Rams, completing 31 tackles — 23 of which were solo — and five sacks in eight regular-season appearances. Miller continued to show up in the postseason, recording 14 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble across four games.

The Rams also lost offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth to retirement and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl. Stafford had some elbow soreness during training camp but he’ll start on Thursday. Stafford originally sat out all throwing drills during the Rams’ spring practices after receiving an injection for elbow pain in his throwing arm. NFL Media later reported that the QB was battling severe elbow tendonitis, which could’ve kept him in pain throughout the 2022 campaign, but neither Stafford nor the Rams ever officially labeled his ailment as such.

“I think anytime that you’ve played as long and are as tough as he is,” Coach Sean McVay said at the time, “I don’t know if you’re ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for Sept. 8 and really looking toward 17 games, then hopefully some games after that if we earn that opportunity.”

Stafford looks to reach 50,000 regular season passing yards. He needs five more yards to become the fastest player to reach this mark. DT Aaron Donald also looks to make history as he is 2.0 sacks away from 100 for his career. The Rams are one win away from reaching 600 wins all-time, becoming the sixth franchise to do so.

Entering the season, the Rams welcome many new faces, including 10 rookies to their roster. The Rams had an abbreviated offseason, following their Super Bowl LVI victory that was highlighted by acquisitions for All-Pro LB Bobby Wagner and WR Allen Robinson. Looking to improve the overall record against the Bills to 8-6, the Rams will have both Robinson and Wagner make their regular season debuts after no starters played in the preseason.

Bills vs. Rams Betting Trends

The Steelers went 3-5 on the road the previous season (4-4 ATS).
The Steelers have lost three straight meetings against Cincinnati (0-3 ATS as well).
The totals went over in three of the last four meetings between these two division rivals.
The Bengals went 5-3 at home during the 2021 NFL regular season (4-5 ATS).
The Bengals are 4-1 in their last five games as favorites to win, including the playoffs (SU/ATS).
The totals went under in three of the last five games played in Cincy.

Bills vs. Rams Expert Betting Predictions

Rams ATS at alternate line of +3.5

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*All stated odds are subject to change without prior notice.