NFL Football is officially back and we're set to bring you all of our betting predictions and picks for the wild season ahead. We're heading to the Motor City for the first Sunday Night celebration as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Detroit Lions in a can't-miss rematch from last year's playoffs. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Rams-Lions prediction and pick.
The Los Angeles Rams come into this game with a bad taste in their mouths following their 23-24 loss to this Lions team in the Wild Card Round last season. Former Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford said the loss stung more than any game he's played in a while, so you know they've had this matchup circled on their calendars all offseason as they look to start their season on the right foot.
The Detroit Lions are currently one of the Super Bowl favorites heading into this season after narrowly missing their opportunity last season. With all their holes on defense seemingly patched up and returning one of the best offenses in the league, the time is now for the Detroit Lions and you can bet that Ford Field will be one of the loudest places on Earth come Sunday night.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Rams-Lions Odds
Los Angeles Rams: +4.5 (-114)
Moneyline: +180
Detroit Lions: -4.5 (-106)
Moneyline: -215
Over: 52.5 (-105)
Under: 52.5 (-115)
How to Watch Rams vs. Lions
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET/ 5:20 p.m. PT
TV: NBC, Peacock, NFL+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Rams Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Los Angeles Rams will have spent countless hours rewatching their loss to Detroit in the Playoffs last season, but there's not much Matthew Stafford could have done more to give his team the win. With over 300 yards through the air and two touchdowns, the Rams fought hard but were ultimately worn down by the rushing attack of Detroit. It'll be their first year moving forward without arguably the best player their franchise has ever seen in Aaron Donald. Los Angeles made it a point this offseason to draft depth on the defensive line and took Florida State rushers Jared Verse and Braden Fiske with their first two draft picks. They will certainly need reinforcements as they'll try to lock up the Lions' two-headed rushing attack.
Matthew Stafford is no stranger to the chaos of Ford Field and with a massive chip on his shoulder following last year's ending, he'll have all eyes on him as he tries to redeem their Wild Card loss. They were underdogs against this Detroit team in the last meeting and managed to cover the spread, so you have to like your odds with Matthew Stafford with his back against the wall in Week 1. The Rams will also look towards Kyren Williams to continue his breakout campaign as he and rookie Blake Corum lead this well-balanced rushing attack.
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Detroit Lions are one of the nation's favorite teams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year and given their trajectory from last season, there's no denying that the Lions are for real and their team is finally built to win a championship. It was an unorthodox year for the usage of their first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs who, at times, looked like one of the most explosive running backs in all of the league. We can be certain that his usage will skyrocket this season, but the Lions only benefit from having him draw all the attention away from David Montgomery and his ability to tote the rock in three-down situations. This offensive line has also seen a minor boost through the draft, so expect the Lions to be grounding and pounding their way through the trenches all season.
The Detroit Lions will also be led by what seems to be Jared Goff in the prime of his career and truly embracing the leadership role within the organization. They've entrusted that the team moves with him and have done everything to build a solid cast around him, so Goff should be staring down the barrel of his best NFL season yet. The Lions made several improvements to their defense through the draft and their secondary should play up to a higher standard given the adjustments made in the offseason.
Final Rams-Lions Prediction & Pick
This is shaping up to be an unforgettable opening weekend in the NFL and we couldn't have thought of a better game to cap off the action on Sunday Night. This will be a grudge match between both teams and they could face each other again somewhere down the line, so expect this one to mean a lot for both sides.
Matthew Stafford will be a man on a mission during this game and if they can get Kyren Williams going in the running game, they should have a solid chance to win this game outright.
However, the Detroit Lions only got better this offseason and as we saw with the Ravens and Chiefs, it's hard to come back and beat a team that seemingly has your number. In that case, the Lions should cruise to a victory here and get the win, but we can always expect early-season jitters from both teams as the offenses try to find their strides. Ultimately, we like Detroit to win this game, but they'll do it by a field goal as the Rams manage to cover.
Final Rams-Lions Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Rams +4.5 (-110)