The Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season features the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. We’ll be diving into all of the primetime games this season, and this one isn’t any different. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds, picks and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 1 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
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How To Watch Rams vs. Lions
When: Sunday, September 8th at 8:20 pm ET
Where: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
Channel: NBC/Peacock
Rams vs. Lions Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday, September 6th. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Lions -218, Rams +180
Spread: Lions -4.5 (-110), Rams +4.5 (-110)
Total: Over 52 (-110), Under 52 (-110)
Rams vs. Lions Analysis
The Week 1 Sunday Night Football matchup features the type of drama fans crave. We’re getting another Detroit return for Matthew Stafford, who was with the Lions from 2009 to 2020. This is also a rematch of last year’s meeting in the Wild Card Round, which saw the Lions come away with a 24-23 win. Detroit was up 14-3 in that game, but Los Angeles came back and made it a game. In fact, the Rams had a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter, but they ended up punting the ball away with just over four minutes remaining and never saw the ball again.
This year’s game will be very different. Aaron Donald decided to retire after last season, leaving a huge hole along the Los Angeles defensive line. While Donald was beginning to get up there in age, he was still graded a 90.9 at Pro Football Focus. And his ability to get after the passer was a main reason for that. The Rams took a bunch of fliers on pass-rushing options in the offseason, but none of them are guaranteed to hit. So, with the Lions also having PFF’s top-ranked offensive line, Jared Goff should be able to sit back and take his sweet time here. And Los Angeles’ secondary is beatable.
Los Angeles also moved team captain Ernest Jones IV to the Titans right before the start of the regulars season. Jones had 74 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks last year, so that’s another key defensive piece out the door.
Overall, the changes made to the Los Angeles defense make it hard not to like the idea of laying the points with Detroit here. However, the Over could be the more enticing option, even with the number being rather high.
When these teams met last year, Stafford threw for 367 yards with two touchdowns, and there’s not much keeping this Los Angeles offense from getting going again. Sean McVay is still one of the league’s best play callers, and the talent he has in place this season is eye-popping. Cooper Kupp is healthier than he has been in quite some time, Puka Nacua is ready to build on his historic rookie season and the team has all sorts of electric backfield options to run behind a solid offensive line.
It should also be noted that the Over is 7-0 in Detroit’s last seven season Week 1 games. It’s also 11-4 in the Lions’ last 15 games against NFC opponents. These were also two teams that were Top 10 in the league in EPA per play last year, showing you how explosive both offenses can be.
Rams vs. Lions Player Props
Blake Corum Over 23.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
The Rams have one of the better run-blocking lines in the NFL, so the team should be able to find success on the ground — even against a Lions team that was fourth in the NFL in Rush EPA per play allowed in 2024. And while everybody might think Kyren Williams is going to be the bell cow for Los Angeles this season, it seems very likely that Corum is going to get his share of touches. Los Angeles didn’t play Corum in the preseason, meaning he got the same treatment as the Rams starters. McVay also said that Williams would be returning kicks, which isn’t normal for somebody that is going to be getting 15-20 touches per game. With that in mind, I’m expecting Corum to get 8-10 carries in this game. If he does, he should easily rush for 24 yards. The former Michigan player should also be filled with adrenaline with this game being played in Detroit.
It’s also worth noting that Corum is even further removed from the knee injury that ended his 2022 season. So, he should have the burst back that allowed him to rush for 6.6 yards per carry in 2021 and 5.9 yards per carry in 2023. Last year’s 4.8 yards per carry were a product of him not feeling like himself.
Rams vs. Lions Pick
If I had to play the spread in this game, I’d go with the Lions to cover. However, I feel a lot better about this being a high-scoring game, so my favorite pick in this exciting primetime affair is on the Over. These are two explosive offensive teams with a lot of question marks on the defensive side of the ball, and this game is also going to be played in a dome. There’s no reason this shouldn’t turn into a shootout, even with both teams having been conservative with their starters in the preseason.
Pick: Over 51.5 (-125)
