NFL picks and predictions: NFC West rolls through Week 1

Analyzing the NFC West Week 1 matchups and offering up expert picks and predictions on the top player props and game lines.

Each of the four NFC West teams will be in action Sunday, with the Los Angeles Rams capping things off against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Below, we look at the best bets for the NFC West, and make our best NFL picks, predictions and bets.

The Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers will all be on the road in 1 p.m. ET games. Seattle visits the Indianapolis Colts, while the Cardinals will travel to Tennessee to face WR Julio Jones and the Titans. The 49ers will take on the Detroit Lions, in the first game of QB Jared Goff’s tenure with his new team.

The Rams host the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET. This will be the first regular-season game with fans in attendance at the Rams’ (and Chargers’) new stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

NFC West prop bet picks and predictions

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 5:45 p.m. ET.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Over 1.5 TD passes (-172)

It might take Stafford a quarter or so to get settled into his new offense, but once he gets the timing down with Los Angeles’ receivers, he’s going to have a ton of success against this Bears defense.

He had at least two touchdown passes in 10 of his 20 career games against Chicago while with the Lions. He’ll score a couple of times Sunday night, especially with the Rams likely being pass-heavy in the red zone without injured RB Cam Akers.

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49ers -7.5 vs. Lions (-115)

The Lions are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league and they’re going up against a 49ers offense that should run the ball consistently with little trouble. Detroit also lacks playmakers on offense, which will make it difficult to keep up with the 49ers on the scoreboard.

As long as San Francisco grabs a lead fairly early, this game won’t be close in the second half.

Also see: Who will win Super Bowl 56?

Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins Over 84.5 receiving yards (-114)

The Titans have some quality players on defense, but their cornerbacks will have some trouble covering Hopkins. The Cardinals could be playing catch-up in this game, too, which will lead to QB Kyler Murray throwing a ton of passes.

Hopkins had seven games of 100-plus yards last season and he’ll approach that number again Sunday.

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49ers TE George Kittle Over 5.5 receptions (+110)

When Kittle and QB Jimmy Garoppolo were both healthy in 2019, they had a strong connection. Kittle caught at least six passes in 10 of the 14 games he played and proved to be Garoppolo’s favorite target.

Kittle will get a healthy share of passes thrown his way in his return to the field against the Lions.

Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. Over 12.5 receiving yards (-114)

Henderson will share the backfield with RB Sony Michel, but it’s clear which one will be the receiving back. Henderson should be targeted at least a couple of times by Stafford and one single screen pass could result in a 13-yard gain.

This is a prop that could hit early as Stafford gets comfortable with short, easy passes on the opening drives.

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