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NFL Week 1 Tips: Rams to edge Bills in big kick-off

Paul Higham
08 September 2022
2 min read

Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are defending Super Bowl champions

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Paul Higham says the Los Angeles Rams can continue their fine opening-day record as they kick-off their Super Bowl defence with a huge clash against Buffalo...

Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams
Friday 9 September 01:20 kick-off
Live on Sky Sports

At last the long wait since February is over and the NFL is back for a brand new season - and it's back with an almighty bang with a five-star match-up in Hollywood.

As is tradition, the defending Super Bowl champions host the first game of the season, and the NFL has come out swinging as the Los Angeles Rams play their very first home game as champs as this year's 6/1 Super Bowl favourites the Buffalo Bills.

It means that the Rams can't afford to get caught up in the occasion as they've been handed the toughest opener possible, with Bills QB Josh Allen also the MVP favourite and Buffalo backed to finally end their long wait to win a first Super Bowl.

And a good start may actually be more important than you think, as a team is twice as likely to make the play-offs if they win their opening game, and six of the last seven Super Bowl winners have started the season off with a victory.

And despite the Bills being 2.5-point favourites here, Sean McVay's Rams have the longest active run of opening day victories having won their last five season openers.

McVay, in fact, has never held a losing record at any stage of his five-year tenure, and he'd hate his first taste of a losing record to come in his first game as a Super Bowl champion.

Rams worth backing on moneyline

The game also sees two-time Super Bowl winner Von Miller return to LA having swapped the Rams for the Bills in the off-season, with Buffalo handing him a huge deal to beef-up their defence.

Buffalo were elite on both sides of the ball last season, allowing the fewest points per game in the league (14.9) and scoring the third-most (29.8).

McVay's side are usually fast starters though, and the absence of Buffalo's star cornerback Tre'Davious White could be crucial here - with Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp lining up at receiver looking to repeat his incredible 2021 season.

The Bills could easily win it all this season, but with the champions at home, a strong home record and recent history of starting the season strong, the Rams are worth backing to win straight-up at 11/10.

In terms of touchdown scorers, all eyes will obviously be on Kupp, and even without White the Bills will have a plan to at least slow him down and stop him getting in the end zone.

What's better than this, guys running routes ‼️ #Kickoff2022 @stefondiggs | @cooperkupp

: #Kickoff2022 -- Thursday 9/8 at 8:20pm ET on NBC
: Stream on NFL+ (https://t.co/fK7vaWiHIa) pic.twitter.com/64wFIMPwsQ
-- NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2022

The Rams have signed Allen Robinson in the summer though, who could be a genuine number one receiver had he not played for Chicago the last few years, but catching passes from Matthew Stafford could see him produce some big numbers this season.

While Stefon Diggs is the top Bills receiver, Gabriel Davis emerged during the second half of last season, including in the play-offs, so he'd be the man to side with to score a touchdown here - along with tight end Dawson Knox.

A final player prop to add to any Bet Builders would be the 5/6 on Rams running back Cam Akers to gain over 43.5 yards.

McVay isn't afraid to run the ball and he'll be keen to get Akers back into the swing of things after injury last season - he'll use him to keep Allen and the Bills off the field as much as possible.

That ground game could be crucial in getting the champs off to a winning start.

The first NFL Sunday of the season kicks-off this weekend, and we'll be back with some of the best bets from a fantastic slate of games on Saturday.

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Back the Rams to beat the Bills @ 2.111/10
Back Robinson & Knox to score TDs at around 7.06/1

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Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.

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