2024 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 1

Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions

Sunday, September 8, 8:20 PM ET

It’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of reception Matthew Stafford gets in a trip back to Detroit in prime time.

Stafford won a Super Bowl in his first year after getting traded by the Lions to the Rams, but the Lions have been able to rather quickly become contenders in the NFC as well.

Detroit backed up the Brink’s truck this offseason and started handing out big-money contracts like an episode of Oprah!

You get a deal, you get a deal, you get a deal!

Jared Goff got the bag along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell. Those three core pieces of the Lions have obviously been instrumental in the team’s ascent over the last few seasons, but they’re also big reasons why this team should be expected to contend once again in the NFC in 2024.

They are going to get a tough test early on with the Los Angeles Rams coming to town, and for the first time in the regular season, we’re not going to see no. 99 in Los Angeles terrorizing opposing offensive lines from the inside out. Aaron Donald retired this offseason, leaving a massive gap for the Rams to fill, and that’s going to obviously take time.

And Donald is 1-of-1, so it’s not going to be a true “replacement” anyway.

Still, the Rams can put up points offensively, and they’re going to test a new-look Detroit Lions defense with some significant changes in the secondary as well as along the defensive line, where DJ Reader hopes to make a huge impact for them this season coming over as a free agent from the Bengals.

The Lions are favored at home by 3.5 points in this one and I think they can cover that against the Rams to start the season off right.

Prediction: Lions win 34-30