Lions vs Rams: NFL AI Predictions - Sunday Night Football

Football is back people, officially.

Week 1 kicked off with a bang for Thursday Night Football as the Kansas City Chiefs held on at the end to beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-20, so with that, we turn our attention to Sunday Night Football. The Los Angeles Rams are heading to Detroit to take on the Lions in the latest matchup between the two quarterbacks that switched teams a couple seasons ago in Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford.

We'll be breaking down the game preview, our Rithmm model for this matchup, and my prediction for this game, so let's get into our Lions vs Rams SNF Predictions for Week 1.

Lions vs Rams SNF Preview

This should be a really good matchup between two very strong offensive units, which could make for some points being scored during this one!

The Lions have not had a very eventful offseason. They focused on getting their stars locked down for the foreseeable future, with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RT Penei Sewell, and QB Jared Goff all signing massive contract extensions. They also focused on building their defense, selecting cornerbacks with both of their first two picks in the Draft.

On the other side, the Rams also held fast on the offensive side of the ball. They drafted RB Blake Corum with their third-round pick, ostensibly to back up starting RB Kyren Williams, but there have been whispers that Corum will have a larger role than people think. HC Sean McVay loves to hyperfixate on one running back, so this could be a very interesting storyline to follow as the season moves along.

That feeds right into my Rithmm custom sports betting model that I built for this game.

Lions vs Rams Sunday Night Football Rithmm Model

Building NFL models using Rithmm's technology is super easy! All you need to do is go into the Rithmm website or app, click on the models tab under NFL, and either click 'Build a Model For Me' or 'Personalize a Model'. The first option will auto-generate a model for you using our AI simulations and backtesting to determine what works.

After clicking 'Personalize a Model', you can build your model, either by utilizing the pre-made factors, or if you have Rithmm Premium, you can build your own custom factors using any variety of our numerous research analytics. Once that model has finishing its "training" and you name it, you're ready to track some NFL bets!

For a complete look, check out how to build a Rithmm NFL prediction model.

We're working again with the same model from Thursday Night Football here, on slightly different game track.

Both of these teams will want to run the ball plenty, but in a dome at Ford Field, I expect a much larger dose of passing the football in this one with Goff and Stafford having a history of trading blows. In two of the past three matchups between these teams, they have combined for over 600 passing yards.

Don't underrate the defenses here. Despite the retirement of Aaron Donald, the Rams drafted edge rushers wit both of their first two picks and they could surprise, while Aiden Hutchinson looms on the other side of the field for the Lions.

Lions vs Rams SNF Game Prediction

It’s time to see my game prediction for Week 1 SNF. We’re going to go into my prediction that is based on my custom Rithmm model, and why I think it's a good choice.

If you want to see the full predictions for this game, including our recommended player props, make sure you sign up for your FREE seven-day trial of Rithmm by clicking at the bottom of the page!

SNF Game Prediction for Rams @ Lions

Pick: Under 52.5

Win Probability: 59.5%

DTM: 13.6%

Despite all three of the aforementioned previous showdowns between Goff and Stafford having a high amount of passing volume, we haven't exactly seen barnburner games come out of those numbers. Each game ended at 46 or 47 points, and I don't disagree much on that one for this game, either.

The Rams could struggle to both protect Stafford as well as generate pressure on Goff due to the state of their offensive line as well as the offseason retirement of legend Aaron Donald. The offensive line, in particular, seems to be quite an issue.

The Rams are projected to have at least two new starters in Warren McLendon (2024 rookie) and Jonah Jackson, their big free agent signing from the Lions, not to mention that Joe Noteboom, who has mightily struggled in recent seasons, is set to start again because of the Alaric Jackson suspension.

At the end of the day, I think that the inability for the Rams to protect Matthew Stafford could show up a bunch in this game. What will the run game look like from both teams? I think all of the running backs are very capable and could push the clock. 52.5 is too high here.

Closing Remarks on Lions vs Rams SNF Predictions

With this SNF game kicking off the 2024-25 NFL season, I think we're in store for a fantastic year, and if you follow all of Rithmm's insights and tools, you will be too.

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