Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Ravens vs. Bills on Sunday Night Football in Week 1

Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season brings us one of the matchups of the year right out of the gate.

On Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens and 2023 league MVP Lamar Jackson hit the road to play the Buffalo Bills and 2024 league MVP Josh Allen.

Buckle up, NFL fans, because this game could be a potential AFC title game in the 2025 season.

When it comes to betting on this game, there are some interesting notes about the spread and total. First off, this game has seen some odds movement throughout the last few weeks, with the Ravens settling in as road favorites in Week 1.

Why is that important?

Well, Buffalo is 22-3 at home over the last three seasons, and it didn’t lose a home game in the regular season in 2024. So, Jackson and the Ravens are facing a bit of an uphill battle in this Week 1 matchup.

In addition to that, the total in this game is the highest of the week – 50.5 – so the oddsmakers at the best NFL betting sites are expecting plenty of points between these teams, which could be good for some player props.

The SI Betting team has been making picks for this game all week, and I’ve decided to curate a few of my favorites from our team for Sunday night’s action. Let’s break ‘em down.

Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Ravens vs. Bills

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Baltimore Ravens Moneyline (-125) vs. Buffalo Bills – Iain MacMillan
Josh Allen Anytime TD (+100)
Lamar Jackson OVER 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-125)
James Cook UNDER 13.5 Rush Attempts (-119)

Baltimore Ravens Moneyline (-125) vs. Buffalo Bills – Iain MacMillan

Earlier this week, SI’s NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan shared his favorite bet for this game in his Road to 272 column – where he bets on every game, every week:

In my opinion, the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the NFL. They led the league in Net Yards per Play last season at +1.6, 0.6 yards more than any other team. A slow start against the Bills in the playoffs cost them a spot in the AFC Championship, but that's not going to scare me away from backing them to beat the Bills in Week 1.

Baltimore got even better in the offseason by adding a veteran receiver in DeAndre Hopkins and drafting one of the best defensive back prospects available in Malaki Starks. Not to mention, they added Jaire Alexander at cornerback.

The best team in the AFC got better this offseason. The Bills, meanwhile, still have some questions on the defensive side of the football and are still seeking a No. 1 receiver. Baltimore is the better team in this matchup; let's not overthink this bet.

Josh Allen Anytime TD (+100) – Peter Dewey

Allen found the end zone twice in the playoffs against Baltimore in the 2024 playoffs, and I think he could do it again in Week 1:

James Cook led the NFL with 16 rushing scores in the 2024 season, but I’m not going to discount what Allen did as a runner.

The Bills quarterback ran for 12 touchdowns in the 2024 season, carrying the ball 102 times for 531 yards. Buffalo loves using him in short-yardage situations, and he scored two rushing touchdowns against Baltimore in the Bills’ win in the divisional round.

At even money, Allen is worth a look in Week 1.

Lamar Jackson OVER 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-125) – Peter Dewey

Looking to bet on the other star quarterback tonight?

Lamar Jackson may be worth a look as a passer in this season opener for Baltimore:

Last season, Jackson threw 41 touchdown passes for the high-powered Ravens offense, and he had multiple scores in both of his meetings with Buffalo (Week 4 and the AFC divisional round).

Jackson only had five games in 2025 where he failed to throw multiple scores, and I think that makes him a pretty safe bet in a game where the total is up at 50.5.

The Ravens added to their pass-catching corps this offseason, bringing in DeAndre Hopkins on a one-year deal. That should help Jackson a lot in the red zone with Isaiah Likely up in the air for Week 1.

James Cook UNDER 13.5 Rush Attempts (-119) – Peter Dewey

If you’re looking for a player to fade on Sunday, I think Cook could see a smaller role than this line suggests in Week 1:

James Cook is a player that I’m expecting to take a little bit of a step back statistically in the 2025 season.

Last season, Cook ran for an NFL-high 16 touchdowns, but he ended up playing less than 50 percent of Buffalo’s offensive snaps (47.6).

Now, Cook is being asked to carry the ball 14 or more times when Ray Davis and Ty Johnson remain on the roster as his backups. He only had 14-plus carries in seven regular-season games in the 2025 campaign, and the Bills clearly managed his reps all season long based on his snap counts.

I’ll go under this prop in Week 1 if Cook’s usage remains the same in 2025.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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