2022 NFL Kickoff Game odds, spread, line: Rams vs. Bills picks, NFL predictions from top expert on 44-33 run

The 2022 NFL season launches on Thursday with the 2022 NFL Kickoff Game between the defending Super Bowl champions and this year’s Super Bowl favorites as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Buffalo Bills. The Rams ended a 22-year Super Bowl drought in February with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56. They own 2023 Super Bowl odds of about 12-1 to repeat, while the Bills, who are still seeking their first Lombardi trophy, are a 6-1 betting favorite to win the title.

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
  
  

Why the Bills can cover

Although the Bills will start the season without standout cornerback Tre’Davious White, who is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 12 of last season, the coaching staff is confident that a pair of rookies will help compensate for his absence. The Bills drafted Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford, in the first and sixth rounds respectively, and both have earned rave reviews from the coaching staff while making their share of standout plays during the exhibition season.

Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told the media this week he expects both rookies to pick up the slack while White, who was named to the Pro Bowl two seasons ago, sits out at least the first four games of the season. “They both had good training camps for us,” Frazier said. “We’ll mix it up in the ballgame and see how things are going as the game goes on.”

Frazier also credited third-year pro Dane Jackson for mentoring the rookies and making sure they were prepared for the start of the season. “Dane has been the one who’s had to kind of step up and continue to encourage both of our young corners, and he’s done that,” Frazier said.

Why the Rams can cover

The Rams lost a cornerstone of their defense when veteran linebacker Von Miller signed with Buffalo in the offseason. However, the club’s brass was thrilled to replace Miller with Bobby Wagner, the longtime Seattle stalwart who in many ways provides a mirror image of the leadership and production Miller provided.

Wagner was let go by Seattle after the Seahawks essentially decided to go into rebuilding mode. He was the last active member of the famed “Legion of Boom” defense that carried Seattle to one Super Bowl victory and another appearance.

Although Wagner is 32 and has 10 full NFL seasons under his belt, the veteran still appears to have plenty left in the tank. He carried a limited Seattle defense last year with 170 total tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

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.