Free Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams will have their work cut out for them when they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in what should be a high-scoring game. The last time these two teams met, Tampa was able to come away with the win in a shootout, but can they do it again? Oddsmakers seem to think so. 888sport has the Buccaneers as -4.0 (-110) home favourites.

It’s truly remarkable how many great teams there are in the NFC.  Even though they aren’t division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams have delivered some great games in recent history.

The last time they met which was back in 2019, Jameis Winston (remember him?) led the Buccaneers to a thrilling 55-40 victory.  That seems like it was ages ago, and a lot of things have changed on both sides

It’s been a while since both teams have been elite at the same time, and while the Rams may not scare anyone like they used to back in 2018, they’re still 6-3 in a tough division and can hang with the best of them. The Rams also seem to have an edge over the Buccaneers, as they’ve gone 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

The Rams are currently seventh in yards per game at 395.6 and their defense ranks second in both yards and points allowed per game.  They’re fresh off a win against Seattle who is just as capable on offense as the Bucs, and they have shut-down cornerback Jalen Ramsey to shadow Mike Evans.

The Buccaneers were humbled a few weeks ago when the New Orleans Saints showed up at their doorstep and proceeded to toss them around like rag dolls.

They’ve since bounced back, and Tom Brady has done well so far with 23 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on the season. The Rams will apply the pressure, so it will be up to the six-time Super Bowl champ to make sure that he doesn’t allow them to take control of this game with their defense as the Saints did.

The Rams are ranked fifth in rushing defense, so it’ll be a long day for Tampa’s rushers. The Bucs’ run game has improved though, and Ronald Jones II looks great, especially after his 99-yard touchdown rip against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10.

Both teams have great defenses, which is why oddsmakers have set the OVER/UNDER unusually low for this type of game.  888sport has it set at 48.5 (-110), and although it’s totally feasible to envision a high-scoring game, it doesn’t seem likely given the way these defenses play most of the time.

• Tampa Bay is 5-10 ATS in their last 15 games against an NFC opponent
• The UNDER has cashed in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games at home against Los Angeles
• Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against Tampa Bay
• The UNDER has cashed in 6 of Los Angeles’ last 6 games