The field is clear, the gates are ready, and the gallery is just waiting to fill for the opening cheer of the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season. Now the next question that comes to mind is: What games should you be watching”
Surely the most popular answer to this question would be “my team against any other team out there.”
Well, I’m not here to argue with that. That’s what fans are for, after all, and what fans generally do – watch their team play to win. But to an objective observer, and avid fan of the NFL in general, there are certainly other matches that are more gratifying to follow than just watching a home team play against a visiting team.
There are 16 matches scheduled every week, and it would be nearly impossible for popcorn munching fans to watch all of them every week. But if you’re up to taking your viewing pleasure to the next level with a bet on the side, then NFL best sportsbooks might be worth looking into before the games.
Here’s a guide to at least four exciting games in the next four weeks of the 2022 NFL season:
Week 1, September 8: Los Angeles Rams vs Buffalo Bills
The showdown between defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and AFC East titleist Buffalo Bills officially unveils the 103rd Season of the National Football League on September 8.
The Bills are entering the 2022 Season as the odds makers’ choice to prick the Rams for a place in the Super Bowl, although Los Angeles is picked by bookmakers to win the opener against Buffalo.
All eyes are fixed on outside linebacker Von Miller, who now plays for the Bills after having helped the Rams win the Super Bowl last season.
Some analysts believe this is a preview, at least on paper, of this year’s championship, but some fans are unconvinced and are waiting for former MVP and 8-time All-Pro selection Miller and company to prove them wrong.
Week 2, September 15: Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs
The September 15 encounter between defending West Division titleist Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers is but a sequel in the seething rivalry between two serious contenders for the AFC West division title.
The Chiefs is a seven-straight AFC West division titlist and was last year’s losing finalist in the AFC against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chiefs and the Chargers split their 2021 season series, with both losing against each other in their respective home turfs. Last year, the Chargers finished third in the same division with a respectable 9-8 score, with the Chiefs just a shade on top.
The Chargers have since then bolstered their lineup by signing defensive linemen Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson, and adding cornerback J. C. Jackson in huge multi-million dollar deals. They also extended the contract of receiver Mike William, with a three-year $60 million deal.
On the other hand, the Chiefs have made some cuts here and there, and have added a few new faces.
So far, the Chargers have done well in the pre-season, but they have yet to deal with the Chiefs, who are after their 8th Division title this season. Fans will be watching.
Week 3, September 25: Green Bay Packers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 3 marks the first encounter between two certified NFL heavyweights – Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tom Brady, 45, widely acclaimed as the greatest quarterback of all time, will return to action, after having announced his retirement last February 1 and declaring he would return to the Buccaneers just weeks later.
Brady will be back in his No. 12 jersey on September 25, when the Buccaneers face their old nemesis and equally strong title-contender Green Bay Packers at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
It won’t be just the Buccaneers and the Packers squaring off though, but Brady and Aaron Rogers. Like Brady, 4-time NFL MVP Rogers is also considered by many sports columnists and analysts as one of the greatest quarterbacks of his time.
The Buccaneers and Packers are natural crowd-drawers whenever they meet.
Week 4, October 3: San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams
Two California-based teams will be at each other’s throats when they meet for the nth time in their long-standing rivalry that started in the 1970s.
It doesn’t matter anymore if a championship is at stake or not, because the two archrivals would rather lose to other teams in the NFL than against each other.
Last season, the Rams enjoyed a six-game winning streak against the 49rs en route to claiming the NFC West pennant. The scoreboard was close, with the top three teams in the division – Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers – scoring 12, 11, and 10 victories, respectively.
After Week 4, the two rival teams are expected to face each other again in Week 8. Will the 49ers finally break their losing spell against the Rams this time around?
Bookmakers don’t think so. But the 49ers and their fans are not counting out wins against the highly favored Rams this time around, and perhaps even the division title – and ultimately, the Super Bowl, if they finally tame the rampaging Rams.
