At long last, football is back.
After the annual wait of what feels like an eternity, the NFL is returning tonight with one of the best opening night matchups in recent memory. In what could very well be a preview of Super Bowl LVII, the Buffalo Bills will make their way out to sunny Los Angeles to take on the reigning champs, the LA Rams.
As football returns so does the opportunity to join the fun and wager on America’s favorite game.
Here are the props to watch for the NFL’s season opening game:
Must-play props for the NFL’s opener
For Week One, the message is offense, offense, offense.
While both the Buffalo Bills and the LA Rams are expected to have top-tier defenses, few teams comes out of the gate Week One with their defense performing at peak levels. With these two titans of the NFL, offense will be the theme so early in the schedule, as it will also be for the props for tonight’s game.
Cooper Kupp | Over Total Receiving Yards
Reigning Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp getting the over at 89.5? Is there anything more that needs to be said? Even if Buffalo Bills star cornerback Tre’Davious White was playing in this matchup, this is as much of a no-brainer play as they come.
Despite the tough-nosed ability of both teams this game could easily turn into a shootout this early in the season and if so, expect the Rams to take advantage especially with one of only two players in history to record over 1900 receiving yards in a season on the roster.
If you need more convincing, Cooper Kupp only recorded under 90 yards once last season, out of 17 games.
Gabe Davis | Over Total Receptions
Is this the year that Gabe Davis makes the leap? Maybe that’s a bit too much of a statement to make, but there’s been plenty of noise surrounding the third-year wideout to suggest a jump in production is coming.
Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey will certainly look to make an impact as LA’s traveling terror, but thanks to the presence of the Bills’ own star Stefon Diggs, opportunities aplenty should still arise for Gabe Davis.
He’s not yet been known as a volume receiver, but if this game does, in fact, turn into a shootout, expect Bills quarterback Josh Allen to give Davis every opportunity to succeed.
Matthew Stafford | Over Total Passing Yards
Yes, the Buffalo Bills boast one of the premier defenses in the NFL; however, as already stated, NFL teams are rarely in late season form defensively come Week One. On top of this, the Bills will be without star cornerback Tre’Davious White tonight as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he sustained last season.
Without White, Buffalo’s corners are young and vulnerable. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde may be able to lighten the load some, but there will be plenty of opportunity for Matt Stafford and his receiving corps to take advantage.
Third-year wide receiver Van Jefferson may be out for tonight’s game, but between Allen Robinson, Tyler Higbee, and of course, Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford will have no shortage of talented targets to throw for 274+ tonight.
There will likely be some concern considering Stafford’s offseason elbow surgery; however, if he is truly healthy — as reports suggest —, the NFL may be seeing an even better version of the quarterback than last season.
