Our betting analysts have Rams vs. Lions picks for the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2024 NFL season, which is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, YouTube TV and other streaming platforms.
The Lions are 5.5-point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions closed as -250 favorites on the moneyline to win the game outright, with the Rams +200 underdogs.
Two star-studded offenses give this game the highest over/under of NFL Week 1. Matthew Stafford has Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in the backfield and one of the best receiving duos with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Jared Goff, meanwhile, will look to beat his old team again with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the ground and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in the passing attack.
Let's get to our expert Rams vs. Lions best bets in our NFL Week 1 Sunday Night Football picks and predictions.
And if you're looking for more on Blake Corum props given his status so far on Sunday Night Football, check out Blake Corum Player Props for Rams vs Lions Sunday Night Football.
Rams vs. Lions Picks
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 8:20 p.m. | |
| 8:20 p.m. | |
| 8:20 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Week 1 Sunday Night Football Picks, Odds
| Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 54 -110o / -110u | +200 |
| Lions Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 54 -110o / -110u | -250 |
- Rams vs. Lions Spread: Lions -5.5 | Rams +5.5
- Rams vs. Lions Over/Under: 54 total points
- Rams vs. Lions Moneyline: Lions -250 | Rams +200
Week 1 Sunday Night Football Pick Against the Spread
It's unsurprising to see money pour in on the Lions to open the season. Detroit covered in six of their last seven times bettors had an opportunity to bet them, and they're now at home, indoors, where Jared Goff has thrived. Of course, this is also the first time, in quite some time, the Lions enter the season with a bevy of expectations.
Speaking of six of seven, though, as the astute Evan Abrams points out in his NFL Week 1 betting primer, Sean McVay is 6-1 against the number in the opening week as Rams head coach, covering by an average of nine points per game. McVay is one of the league's best game planners and should have the offense cooking against a Lions defense I still have plenty of questions about.
Most importantly, when Stafford has his full weapons at his disposal, the Rams offense is elite, maybe even the best in the NFL. When Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams have been in the lineup, the Rams average 6.8 yards per play, which no other team in the NFL can match. Los Angeles averaged 7.7 yards per play when these two teams met in the playoffs back in January, with the Rams outgaining the Lions 425-334.
I'd still play this at +4, but it's key to try and get the hook at +4.5. This game will be a very close, back-and-forth affair, getting through the key numbers of three and four is essential.
Rams vs. Lions Spread Bet: Rams +4.5 (-110)
NFL Prop Pick on Rams
I’m all about buy-low opportunities entering the season, and it feels like there are plenty of players who are undervalued in the market. One player I circled entering Week 1 was Demarcus Robinson.
Take out the Week 18 game where the Rams barely played their starters — yes, Robinson has fully supplanted himself as the WR3 — and Robinson played a minimum of 86% of snaps over the final five games of the season.
In those five games, he had at least three receptions in all but one (80%). In the Rams’ season-ending loss to these Lions, Robinson caught three of his six targets.
It’s easy to overlook Robinson in a star-studded skill position room like L.A. The Cooper Kupps and Puka Nacuas of the world are tantalizing, but Robinson is dependable.
It's also worth noting that the Rams did nothing over the offseason to give me less confidence in the 29-year-old receiver. L.A. didn’t bring in a big-name free agent. They drafted Jordan Whittington, but he wasn’t grabbed until the sixth round. Tyler Higbee is on the PUP list, too, which leaves more receptions to be had in an 11-personnel heavy offense like the Rams.
Expect Stafford to air the ball out on Sunday night and Robinson to be a key cog down the stretch. Our Action projections have this projected at 2.8 receptions, so a +7.8% edge based on the best odds available.
Rams Prop Pick: Demarcus Robinson Over 2.5 Receptions (+105)
NFL Prop Pick on Lions
By Matt Trebby
I get the hype about Jameson Williams. He was a star in college and has flashed his great talent at times in the NFL. I’m not ready to trust him as a consistent and key playmaker, though.
Williams had 47, 43 and 69 receiving yards in his final three regular-season games, but he had just 19, 35 and 25 in the Lions’ three playoff games.
Kalif Raymond was a consistent producer for the Lions last season, but a knee injury knocked him out of all three playoff games. He has received praise throughout training camp and is the receiver who I’m looking to bet.
Raymond’s receiving yards prop is 18.5, but Sean Koerner’s projections on Action Labs have him pegged for 24.6. He’s the most reliable pass-catcher who isn’t Amon-Ra St. Brown or Sam LaPorta for Detroit, and I’m betting on Jared Goff finding him at least twice on Sunday night.
Lions Prop Pick: Kalif Raymond Over 18.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
