Can the Rams Exploit the Buccaneers’ Collapse and Seize Victory?

Is it just me, or does every Thursday night game come with a little extra spice when playoff hopes hang in the balance? Tonight’s matchup—Buccaneers vs. Rams at 8:20 ET—feels like a heavyweight clash brewing beneath the NFC surface. Tampa Bay, sitting at 6-4 but limping on a wave of Baker Mayfield magic and nagging injuries, looks like a team in desperate need of a pick-me-up. Meanwhile, the Rams, often overlooked when folks yammer about the league’s best, boast an 8-2 record and seem poised to keep rolling—if only they can shake off those two close losses that still sting. So here’s the million-dollar question: can the Buccaneers defy the odds after back-to-back tough losses and cross-country travel, or will McVay’s crew steamroll their rivals yet again? I’m leaning Rams at -6.5, but hey, football is a funny game—a teaser might just be your best pal tonight. Ready to dive deeper? LEARN MORE

Buccaneers vs. Rams, 8:20 ET

I’ve been pretty religious about only putting out a Thursday Night Football play, two Sunday looks, and then covering Monday Night Football. For the year, we’ve done fairly well, but in Week 12, as the regular season is winding down, I feel like I should add a few plays in the mix. Tonight, we have the Buccaneers taking on the Rams in what could be a playoff battle between two of the better teams in the NFC.

The Buccaneers are 6-4 for the season with a 4-2 road record. This was one of the teams that I expected to keep their throne atop the division. While I’ve been correct up to this point in the year, I do have a bit of concern about Tampa Bay. The only reason that Tampa has a winning record is that Baker Mayfield has been able to bail them out. The four losses, against Philadelphia, at Detroit, against New England, and at Buffalo. In the two home games, they were at least competitive, but they were blown out by both the Lions and the Bills. The other big concern is that those losses are against likely playoff teams. Perhaps they are the best of the bad teams. A lot of that can be attributed to the fact that this team has had significant injuries to skill players. In this game, they need to be sharp and ready, because this is a good Los Angeles roster that is clicking at the moment.

Speaking of the Rams, when a lot of people talk about the best team in football, for some reason they don’t seem to get recognition. Their two losses this year are against the Eagles and the 49ers. The first loss was a game they absolutely should’ve won, but they let that game slip through their grasp. The other game was a complete and total meltdown on the part of Sean McVay. They were facing a hobbling 49ers squad and lost in overtime. They had a chance to win it in regulation and fumbled at the goal line. They had a chance to at least tie or get another chance to win and they had terrible management and play calling on fourth down. Even with those two losses the team is 8-2 for the year, and there looks to be maybe only one more loss on their schedule the rest of the way if things shake out correctly.

A few weeks ago, I would’ve told you that this would be a fantastic game, but I’m a big concerned that this is going to be a disaster for the Buccaneers. They have to travel across country after losing badly last week. They also lost to the Patriots the week before. There is a chance that Baker Mayfield, who kind of got a resurgence by joining the Rams a few years ago, can attack McVay and the Rams, but I’m really not counting on it. The team hasn’t looked crisp in weeks, and I think all of the injuries have finally caught up to them. Maybe they get people back, but how good and reliable will they all be? I’m going to back the Rams here at the -6.5, but I’d also recommend taking them and perhaps the 49ers in a teaser to make the lines a bit more palatable.

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