2022 NFL Kickoff Game odds: Champion Rams favored to host Cowboys in next season's opener

The 2022 NFL regular season is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 8 and unless the NFL does something hugely unexpected, it will begin where this season ended: With the Los Angeles Rams in their home of SoFi Stadium because defending Super Bowl champions annually host the Kickoff Game. The Rams are scheduled for nine home games next season – all NFC teams are – and which might be the Kickoff opponent? SportsLine oddsmakers favor the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams have never played in this game.

Look, I get it: We all have some Cowboys fatigue, but the Kickoff Game is all about ratings and starting the new season with a bang, and no team in the NFL draws more eyeballs (or betting action) than America's Team. The only reason the league might not pick Dallas is because it played in the 2021 Kickoff Game, losing in the final seconds at Tampa Bay. The Cowboys last played the Rams in the 2020 regular season.

Sure, a 49ers-Rams rematch of the NFC title game would be appealing, but there's no way the league is putting two teams from California in this game. It needs to have national appeal. History has generally shown that the league shies away from division rival matchup in this game as well. The last time a Super Bowl winner hosted a division rival in the opening game was Giants-Cowboys in 2012. The Packers hosted the Bears in 2019 but that was because the NFL was celebrating its 100-year anniversary and the Super Bowl champions didn't play in the Kickoff Game.

It's also usually teams from the same conference playing, so that would eliminate a potentially great matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the Kickoff Game. The Bills are +750 second-favorites to win Super Bowl 57 behind Kansas City (+700) and ahead of the Rams (+1000). You can probably safely assume that Bills-Rams will be a Sunday or Monday night game, though.

No, Los Angeles does not play Cincinnati. If we assume it will be an NFC team and not a division rival, that only leaves the Panthers and Falcons other than Dallas, and neither of those clubs has a national cache or was very good in 2021. Maybe if Carolina traded for Deshaun Watson, although I'm pretty sure the league wouldn't want to spotlight his first game back due to the off-field issues. If Matt Ryan announces 2022 will be his final season ahead of time, that would make the Falcons more attractive. 

The Rams' road schedule is actually much more attractive with trips to the Bucs, Packers, Chiefs and Chargers (also in SoFi Stadium) among them. The 2021 schedule was released on May 12 but the Kickoff Game usually leaks out well ahead of that. 

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Which team will the Rams host in the 2022 NFL Kickoff Game?

• Cowboys +200
• Falcons +400
• Panthers +500
• Bills +700
• Seahawks +800
• 49ers +900
• Cardinals +1000
• Raiders +1200
• Broncos +1500

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