THE NFL IS FINALLY BACK 🚨

At long last, the NFL season is here, and they couldn't have picked a better opening matchup. It's the reigning champs against this year's favorite...who ya got? 🏈 (4 min read)

Tonight's parlay is Bills -2.5 vs. Rams and Cooper Kupp Over 7.5 Receptions. More info below on a chance to win $100 👇

Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Thursday Night Football Preview

It’s hard not to feel like a kid on Christmas this morning, as the NFL season is officially HERE. And, if that’s not exciting enough, hand-wrapped under the tree is perhaps the game of the year to kick things off tonight 😎

  • At SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Rams will get one last chance to bask in their Super Bowl LVI victory as their banner is raised prior to the game. But as their title defense begins on the field, their first matchup of the season is hardly a gift 

  • With intentions of spoiling the party, the Buffalo Bills are coming to town, and the Super Bowl favorites (+600) are surely eager to get the season underway after last year ended in heartbreaking fashion 😢

  • The Rams are a popular pick (+1100) to raise another Lombardi Trophy as well, and tonight’s matchup has been pegged by many as a preview for one we could see again come February 👀

Simply put, tonight’s game should be absolutely electric. Take a look at how the lines are shaping up ahead of the 8:20PM EST kickoff 👇

Bills vs. Rams Betting Preview (subject to change) 

  • Spread: Bills -2.5

  • Moneyline: Bills -134 (bet $134, win $100), Rams +114 (bet $100, win $114)

  • O/U: 51.5

The defending champs starting the season as underdogs on their home turf? If that’s not a sign of the sky-high expectations in Buffalo this season, I don’t know what is 🤷🏻‍♂️

Trivia Question: New Bills edge-rusher Von Miller will make his return to LA tonight; what is the eight-time Pro Bowler's season-high sack total? (answer below)

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Player Spotlight

With a plethora of superstars and high-profile new arrivals on both sides of the ball, there are countless storylines surrounding tonight’s game. For simplicity’s sake, let’s narrow things down to four players who could shape not only tonight’s outcome, but also each team’s respective season 👇

📍 Josh Allen (QB, BUF)

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes rest on the shoulders of its superstar quarterback, and luckily for them, he looks ready to go nuclear

  • The fifth-year gunslinger turned in another spectacular season last year, and he was even better in the playoffs, averaging over 300 passing yards to go along with nine TDs and zero interceptions across Buffalo's two games

  • That postseason performance, along with improving playmakers around him, has Allen positioned as the MVP favorite this year (+600), and those around the league will tell you that the noise is justified 👇

Tonight's Pick: Allen Over 274.5 Passing Yards (-113)

📍 Gabriel Davis (WR, BUF)

Stefon Diggs is still the bread winner in the Bills' receiver room, but the Gabe Davis hype train has picked up so much steam lately it’s nearly off the rails 

  • After his legendary playoff performance against the Chiefs last year and a preseason full of glowing reviews, it’s no wonder why many expect a full-fledged breakout by the third-year wideout 💣

  • Diggs will have his hands full dealing with Jalen Ramsey tonight, so I’m expecting a strong Davis performance, and it may be your last chance to hop on the bandwagon at a discount

Tonight's Pick: Davis Over 0.5 TDs (+155)

📍 Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR)

Speaking of stud wideouts, may I present the man who just turned in one of the best receiving seasons we’ve ever seen last year

  • Kupp flew a bit under the radar through the first four seasons of his career, but now the cat's out of the bag. The addition of Allen Robinson should help, but will teams gameplan around shutting the Rams’ star down this year?

  • That’ll certainly be easier said than done, and with star cornerback Tre'Davious White out for the Bills tonight, expect Kupp to get his 💪

Tonight's Pick: Kupp Over 7.5 Receptions (-113)

📍 Cam Akers (RB, LAR)

While it should be a Kupp-centric offense once again this season, one of the biggest X-factors in the league is LA running back Cam Akers, who could take the Rams to the next level with a return to form

  • Akers made a miraculous return from an Achilles injury in time to suit up for the postseason last year, but the results were a bit underwhelming, as he averaged just 2.4 yards-per-carry and failed to find the endzone

  • It remains to be seen if he’ll ever regain the explosiveness that helped him seize the starting running back role at the end of 2020, but if he does so this season, the LA offense could be even better than last year's sixth-ranked unit 😳

Tonight's Pick: Akers Under 43.5 Rushing Yards (-113)

Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Image

For My Parlay Gurus

Alright, I'll confess — I'm a dedicated member of Bills Mafia myself, so you know I gotta go with my boys to take down the champs tonight. But as I mentioned, I still think Cooper Kupp will be a problem all game long. Here's the parlay I'm going with 👇

  • Bills -2.5 vs. Rams: -110

  • Cooper Kupp Over 7.5 Receptions: -113

$100 on this bet would win you $260 — if we hit, make sure you email justin.schnell@itsovertime.com for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Von Miller has racked up 115.5 sacks during his career, including 9.5 last year between the Broncos and Rams. His season-high of 18.5 sacks came in 2012, his second year in the league

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