The first game of the 2022 NFL season is set to take center stage on Thursday night between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are considered to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the upcoming season and a win on Thursday could put each team on the path to reaching their ultimate goal of playing in the big game.
While it’s fun to simply just watch the game, wagering on certain things to happen can add a little more excitement to football. With the talent that both these teams possess, there shouldn’t be a shortage of offensive plays on Thursday night.
Ahead of the season opener between the Bills and the Rams, here are four of the best bets to make.
All odds are courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook
Allen Robinson Over 65.5 Receiving Yards (-116)
The Rams turned heads this offseason when they signed Allen Robinson to a multi-year contract. The veteran wideout had a forgettable season with the Chicago Bears in 2021, but he’s now going to be catching passes from Matthew Stafford, who is by far the best quarterback he’s played with.
Sean McVay and the Rams have raved about signing Robinson all offseason as he brings multiple skills to an already dangerous offense. With McVay likely wanting to get his new weapon acclimated to the passing attack, look for Robinson to record 66-plus receiving yards in his debut for the Rams.
Gabriel Davis Over 60.5 Receiving Yards (-116)
We witnessed a potential breakout from Gabriel Davis in the AFC title game a season ago as he posted 201 receiving yards and four touchdowns on eight receptions. Entering the 2022 campaign, Davis is slated to be the Bills’ No. 2 wide receiver alongside Stefon Diggs.
The former fourth-round pick out of UCF has flashed big-play ability early in his career, evidenced by his 16.4 yards per reception in his first two seasons. The Bills are an offense that loves to air it out with Allen at the helm, and with the Rams centering their attention on Diggs, Davis has a solid chance to record 61-plus receiving yards in the season opener in his increased role.
Devin Singletary Over 11.5 Rushing Attempts (-130)
The Bills have struggled to find a running back that pairs well with Allen consistently in the backfield. That was true until Buffalo committed to deploying Devin Singletary more at the end of last season and in the postseason.
In the final six games of last season (including the playoffs), Singletary received fewer than 12 carries just once. Considering that Singletary’s only competition for rushing attempts is Allen and a rookie in James Cook, he should be able to garner at least 12 rushing attempts on Thursday night.
Allen Robinson Anytime TD Scorer (+155)
Once again, the Rams are likely going to make a concerted effort to get Robinson involved in the offense in his debut. Even though last season was a disaster for the Penn State product, he’s always a threat to score in a variety of ways.
Amid the team’s Super Bowl run in 2021, the Rams were third in the NFL in red zone scoring attempts per game with 4.2. While Robinson could certainly find the end zone on a deep throw from Stafford, the veteran quarterback could look in his direction when Los Angeles gets deep into Buffalo territory, giving him ample opportunities to score in the season opener.
