The Rams are 1-1 despite not yet registering an offensive touchdown, and hope to slow down Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay offense. The Buccaneers have the more talented quarterback and the home field advantage, which makes them the comfortable favorite.
This contest in Week 3 of the regular season will go down on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Rams +5.5
Buccaneers -5.5
Over/Under 42
Odds Analysis
The Buccaneers are solid favorites and the bettors like the spread for them, as most of the money is coming in on Tampa Bay. More than 75 percent of the gamblers are taking them to cover.
The scoring total is pretty low because of the Rams’ combination of poor offense and solid defense, and even so, more than 65 percent of the money is coming in on the “under.”
Injury Report
Doug Martin -- The Buccaneers running back finished second to Adrian Peterson in rushing in 2015 but suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 against the Cardinals. While the Buccaneers have a solid backup in Charles Sims, the availability of both would help keep both fresh.
E.J. Gaines -- The Rams cornerback missed last week with a thigh injury. The Buccaneers don’t have many wide receiver weapons beyond Mike Evans, so even if Gaines misses this one it probably won’t have a huge impact on the result of the game.
Player to Watch
Jameis Winston -- The former No. 1 overall pick had a great debut in 2016, and then a disastrous second week. The quarterback that shows up in this one will have a huge role in the outcome.
Winston won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award by throwing for 281 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-24 win over the Falcons as the Bucs started 1-0. However, he was limited to 27-of-52 passing for 243 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions against the Cardinals in a 40-7 loss.
Winston also lost a fumble, and the five turnovers made it impossible for Tampa Bay to stay close. The Rams’ offense is poor, so Winston must do a good job of taking care of the football. Even if that means a fair share of punts, that’s a better alternative than giving Los Angeles a short field.
Winston had to take some chances as the Buccaneers fell far behind the Cardinals, but this one isn’t expected to have as many points. The Rams’ defense is solid, but Winston might only need to lead a couple touchdown drives for the win.
Free ATS Pick
It’s been an interesting two weeks to open the season for the Rams. They looked horrible in the opener, falling to expected cellar dweller San Francisco 28-0. However, Los Angeles bounced back in a big way in Week 2 with a 9-3 win over the Seahawks.
While the offense hasn’t yet gotten on track, the defense flexed its muscle. The Buccaneers are aiming to get turned around after getting outclassed by Arizona.
These teams seem to have pretty comparable talent across the board, with Tampa Bay having the advantage at quarterback and the Rams on defense. The spread seems too high for a game which could be a low-scoring, duke-it-out affair.
The odds are good enough to take a stab at a Rams upset, but taking the “under” as well is a good idea to balance out the bets.
NFL Odds: Rams 20, Buccaneers 19
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