Lions vs Rams Predictions: LA out for revenge

The Los Angeles Rams travel to Ford Field in the early hours of Monday morning (01:20, live on Sky Sports Main Event) to face the Detroit Lions in their opening game of their NFL campaign, and both teams are expected to be play-off contenders this term.

The Rams will look to avenge their 24-23 play-off loss to the Lions last year, as Matthew Stafford returns to Detroit for the second time in eight months. Read on for my Lions vs Rams prediction as well as the latest team news and match odds.

NFL Odds

Team News

Three players have had their fitness listed as questionable for the Lions. Tight end Sam LaPorta has a hamstring issue but he is not expected to miss the first game of the new NFL season.

The same applies for Jahmyr Gibbs, while Ifeatu Melifonwu could potentially be sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

As for the Rams, Cooper Kupp has been troubled with injuries over the past two seasons but will be hoping he can avoid any time on the sidelines this time around.

The main concerns for LA are Rob Havenstein and Puka Nacua with the former only playing a limited part in their Monday practice.

Lions vs Rams Odds

The Lions are favourites for the game at 4/9 on the moneyline, meaning that they have a theoretical chance of 69.2% of starting the new season with a win.

The Rams can be backed at 9/5, while it's 10/11 to back either side on the spread, which is currently set at 4.5.

Detroit Lions (-4.5) @ 10/11

Detroit picked up their first play-off win in 32 years in the meeting with the Rams last year, with Jared Goff now aiming to lead them through another successful campaign.

They reached the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers, where they were beaten, but some think that this Lions outfit can go one better this season and reach Super Bowl LIX, so they'll be eager to start off with a win on Monday.

The big concern I have for LA heading into the new campaign is the absence of Aaron Donald, who retired at the end of last season, and given how physical Detroit can be, I'm unsure whether the Rams have enough defensive quality to keep them at bay.

In addition, Detroit's passing offence will be too much for the Los Angeles secondary to contain, and I can see the Lions running up the score here, and ultimately covering the spread.

Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff both 250+ passing yards @ 13/10

Perhaps not the boldest prediction this as both Stafford and Goff are excellent QBs and among the best in the NFL.

During their last match-up, Stafford went for well over 300 yards and Goff logged 277 thanks to Detroit's healthy run game, and I'm expecting similar numbers from both men here.

Stafford will have a point to prove against his old side, and will be desperate to avenge the play-off loss from last year. Meanwhile, the Lions have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL led by Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow, meaning that Detroit will prioritise a strong running game, which could eat into Goff's production.

Remember to check out our NFL Betting Tips index page where we preview games live on Sky Sports along with a weekly Predictions column.