Rams vs. Buccaneers Prediction, Odds, Against Spread and Over/Under for NFC Divisional Round
The Los Angeles Rams took care of business on Monday night, handling the Cardinals with ease and coasting to a 34-11 victory.
The win earned them the right to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. The Rams will be returning to the divisional round for the second straight season, falling the Packers in this spot last year.
The Rams are 2-0 straight up and against the spread against the Brady-led Buccaneers. They beat them 27-24 in 2020, and down them 34-24 in Week 3 this season. Can they make it three-straight against Buccaneer Brady?
Let's take a look at the odds via WynnBET for this Divisional Round matchup.
Rams vs. Buccaneers Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread:
- Rams +2.5 (-105)
- Buccaneers -2.5 (-115)
Moneyline:
- Rams +125
- Buccaneers -150
Total:
- 49 (Over -110/Under -110)
Rams vs. Buccaneers Betting Trends
- Rams are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
- Rams are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games vs. Buccaneers.
- Buccaneers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games.
- The OVER is 5-0 the last five times the Buccaneers have played NFC West opponents.
- Buccaneers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played in January.
Rams vs. Buccaneers Prediction and Pick
I've bet on the Rams more than any other team in the NFL this year. Including the wild card round, I've wagered on them 14 times this season. I'm a huge believer in Los Angeles, and I'm not going to let the defending champions sway my feelings.
The Rams rank third in the NFL in net yards per play (+0.95), one spot ahead of the Bucs who are in fourth at +0.85. These two teams are almost identical from an analytics standpoint. Third and fourth in yards per play, sixth and seventh in opponent yards per play, third and sixth in third down conversion rate, first and third in points per play.
With that being said, I think the Rams defensive line can take advantage of this banged-up Buccaneers offensive line in a big way. Ian Rapaport reported today that Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen are likely to play on Saturday, but that doesn't mean they'll be playing at 100 percent.
The Bucs gave up four sacks against the Eagles in the Wild Card round, and Philadelphia has one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL, ranking 29th in sack percentage. Now they face a Rams defense that ranks seventh in sack percentage. Unless Wirfs and Jensen are 100 percent by Saturday, it could get ugly from a pass rush perspective. Especially if the Rams get pressure up the middle with Aaron Donald, which has been Tom Brady's kryptonite in the past.
The Rams racked up three sacks against Brady and a healthy Bucs offensive line back in Week 3, and that was before they added Von Miller.
The statistics show this game should be a coin flip, but the potential injury issues the Bucs are dealing with makes this wager Rams or nothing for me.