In Week 3, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Rams in Los Angeles and lost, 34-24. Now the teams meet once again in an NFC divisional round playoff game on Sunday. Back in Week 3, the Rams staked themselves to an early 14-7 lead and then came out of the locker room after halftime to pull away during the third quarter. The Rams finished the season winning six of seven despite seeing Matthew Stafford throw eight interceptions in the team’s last four games. Tampa Bay has won four in a row and eight of nine, so we see two teams that finished the season strong – and that dominated in their wild card round wins.
Let’s take a closer look at the best NFL betting decisions you can make for this game.
NFL Divisional Preview (Sunday, January 23)
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: Sunday, January 23, 2022, 3:00 pm ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV: NBC
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Tampa Bay -2.5 / O/U 48 // Los Angeles +125 / Tampa Bay -145
Why should you bet on the Rams?
The Rams started 2021 well before sinking into a bit of a slump in the second third of the season. Down the stretch, though, the Rams turned things around. In their last seven games, including the wild card game a week ago, the Rams only faced three playoff contenders. They beat the Cardinals in two of those games while falling in overtime to San Francisco, a game that the 49ers had to have to make it into the postseason. Traveling across three time zones represents a challenge for the Rams, but overall they are healthy, with Cam Akers having returned last week. Robert Woods (knee) is the only key offensive contributor on the shelf.
In Week 3, the Rams only generated 76 yards on the ground against a stout Tampa Bay rushing defense, a unit that finished third in the league. The Rams will need to continue to throw the ball to win, as their own unit was fifth in passing yardage, and Tampa Bay has a tough time stopping the pass. Matthew Stafford must do a solid job with ball security, like he did in the wild card game, where he threw two scoring passes without a pick. With Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr running routes, he should have some good options. On the defensive side of the ball, the Buccaneers will present more of a challenge through the air than on the ground, and the Rams will have to deal with some injuries in their secondary.
Why should you put your money on the Buccaneers?
Tampa Bay’s only loss in their last eight games came in a bizarre shutout in New Orleans. The Bucs routed Philadelphia last week, and they showed that, offensively, they do their best when they can balance the pass and the run. Key injuries include Chris Godwin (knee) and Richard Sherman (Achilles). Leonard Fournette (hamstring) and Ronald Jones II (ankle) both remain questionable for Sunday. Tristan Wirfs (ankle), the team’s right tackle, is doubtful. Without Wirfs, the rest of the offensive line will have to step up so that the team can sustain drives.
Then, of course, there’s Tom Brady. He threw for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the wild card win over the Eagles. Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski should be his top targets in the divisional game. The Buccaneers will need to do a better job on defense than they did in Week 3 to maintain some sort of control in the game, and that will begin with deciding with what to do when it comes to covering Kupp and Beckham.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
It’s really hard to suggest betting against Tom Brady, especially in the playoffs. Tampa Bay has covered in four straight home playoff games (although they have only played one with Brady at the helm, the win over the Eagles). They have covered in seven of their last eight at home, while the Rams have covered just once in their last eight games coming after a win by at least 14 points. I see Stafford making just enough mistakes for Brady to take advantage, and I predict a 30-27 Buccaneers win.
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bet the Game Today
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