Sunday Night Football Week 1 Picks: The Rams Are Out for Revenge

• The Lions beat the Rams in the 2023 Wild Card 24-23

• Aaron Donald retired during the offseason

• The Lions are second in odds to win the NFC

The Detroit Lions will play host to the Los Angeles Rams just the same way they did during the 2023 playoffs on Sunday Night Football in NFL Week 1.

The Rams are out for revenge, but the Lions trail only the San Francisco 49ers in odds to represent the NFC in the upcoming Super Bowl. Here, we will discuss our best Lions vs. Rams bets for Sunday Night Football.

All odds below come from FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel customers can win $200 in bonus bets, as well as three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket, with a $5 bet on the Lions vs. Rams showdown.

Rams +3.5 (-106) at FanDuel Sportsbook

One of our best bets against the spread is the Rams at +3.5 They came within one point of upsetting the Lions on the road during the playoffs and will head to the Motor City motivated to achieve revenge on the first Sunday Night stage of the 2024 NFL season.

LA lost future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald to retirement but has pieces in place with Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Tre’Davious White, and Kamren Curl poised for big roles. Matthew Stafford was also excellent down the stretch last year and has two great receiving options in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

The Lions have an outstanding roster but haven’t proven that they can stop the pass, even despite new additions Carlton Davis III and Terrion Arnold.

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Under 52.5 Points (-115) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The under went 23-9 (71.9 percent) during Week 1 in each of the last two seasons. Anyone who bet $100 on the under in every one of these games would be up $1,197.

Defenses usually start the year ahead of offenses since the latter relies on rhythm and chemistry. It is especially hard to find that sort of rhythm now that most teams don’t play their starters in the preseason many snaps if at all.

These are two of the highest-powered offenses in the league, yet they still went under this total when they faced off in the playoffs. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the total creep close to this line, though we still expect it to stay under.

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David Montgomery Anytime TD Scorer (-135) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Montgomery recorded 13 touchdowns in 14 games during his first year with the Lions in 2023. He also found the end zone in two of three playoff games, including the 24-23 win against the Rams, when he plowed his way past the pylons on a one-yard run.

The Rams have the potential to have a strong defensive line without Donald, but they’re likely to go through growing pains. The former three-time Defensive Player of the Year was a massive literal and figurative presence and will be missed when it comes to slowing down a bruising back like Montgomery.

The Lions also have the best offensive line in the league. Plus, Jahmyr Gibbs was banged up during the preseason, so Montgomery is likely to have a slightly increased workload. 

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Blake Corum Over 23.5 Rushing Yards (-114) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Rams spent a third-round pick on Corum, who won a national championship as the lead back at the University of Michigan last year. He will be a valuable asset to a team that mostly struggled to run the ball for the past few years despite Kyren Williams’ strong showing.

Corum is shifty and has excellent vision, which he uses to escape plays that look like they had no chance. He will be an important asset going against a Lions squad that allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game.

It could be close, but Corum only needs a couple of strong runs to put himself right at this line. 

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