NFL Week 9 is upon us, and one of the better NFL matchups of the week is the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Both teams are experiencing bigger lows this year than fans expected; however, a win here puts either team back in the running for their division.
Don’t let the downward trend of these two teams fool you. This game could have playoff implications come the end of the season. So let’s look at the spread, the Rams vs Buccaneers total, and the moneyline odds.
LA Rams Season Forecast
The Rams look like a shell of the championship team they were a year ago. Currently sitting at 3-4 and 3rd place in the NFC West, the Rams have been playing abysmally.
What used to be a high-powered offense has been replaced with a unit struggling to put points on the board, ranking 28th in the NFL team stats in points per game at a measly 16.9 points a contest.
Rams’ Defense
The defense is strong, ranking 5th in opponents’ yards a game and 3rd in opponent red zone trips resulting in TDs.
However, without an offense that can reliably put up points, the Rams are in a desperate state. I don’t foresee the Rams making the playoffs this year.
The Rams are in trouble as Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ most reliable playmaker on offense, is questionable for Sunday.
NFL Injury Report
If the NFL injury report comes out Sunday and the Rams don’t have Kupp, they will have more issues than usual on the offensive side of the ball.
It will be even worse if Van Jefferson is unable to play, as he is also currently listed as questionable.
Moneyline
Opening Line
The moneyline opened with the Rams odds set as underdogs at +105.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The Rams suffered a pretty bad loss to San Francisco, which has bumped the line up to +115. It currently sits at +125 to match the movement made on the spread.
What Makes Lose the Bet
Regardless if Kupp is able to play or not, the offense is going to have to find a way to get success, or the Rams will lose this game.
NFL Pick: +130
Spread Line
Opening Line
The spread opened with the Rams at +1.5 underdogs.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The spread now sits with the Rams at +3. A lot of this movement can be attributed to 57% of betting slips betting Tampa moving the lines to +3 for the Rams, which just adds value to anyone who may be betting on the Rams.
What Makes Lose the Bet
I’m not actually completely against this, especially with the line movement. I’d try and wait out the public and try and get this at +3.5, but I think this game is fairly close unless the Buccaneers suddenly have everything figured out over a week.
NFL Pick: +3 (+115)
Total
Opening Line
The Rams vs Buccaneers total opened at 42.5 points.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
Despite all the movement on the spread, the total has remained the same.
What Make Lose the Bet
I don’t see the over being hit with both of these offenses struggling to put up 20 points in a game. I see the final scoreline in the ballpark of 21-20 or 21-17, both hitting the under.
NFL Pick: Over 42.5 (-105)
LA Rams Betting Trend to Know
The Rams have yet to cover the spread as an underdog so far this year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Forecast
Tampa Bay fans are sitting looking at the NFL schedule, wondering what happened. The Buccaneers are on a three-game losing streak behind the stellar defensive play and terrible offensive play.
The defense is to be expected, as Tampa has had a top defense the past couple of years.
However, the offensive struggles are an unpleasant surprise as fans watch as Tom Brady is still putting up good NFL player stats, currently has 2,267 passing yards and 9 TDs to 1 INT, yet continues to struggle to get points on the board as the Tampa offense ranks 25th in points per game.
Buccaneers Rankings Defense
Luckily the defense ranks 6th in opponents’ points per game which somewhat evens it out. If they can get over their current struggles, they can still easily make the playoffs, as they aren’t that far down in the NFL standings.
Tampa will need to find more success than recently on the offensive side of the ball if they want to win this game. That will be hard, with Mike Evans and Julio Jones both questionable for this game.
Also, Cameron Brate is questionable, which creates a lot of questions about Tampa Bay’s receivers and who will step up and make a big play.
Moneyline
Opening Line
The line opened at -125 for the Tampa Bay moneyline.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
If you were going to make the Buccaneers picks today, you’d be getting the odds at -145 after adjusting to the spread.
What Makes Lose the Bet
Tampa is on a losing streak where they have lost to teams that are uncharacteristic of the Buccs to lose to.
NFL Pick: (-150)
Spread Line
Opening Line
The Spread opened with the Bucs as -1.5 point favorites.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
With all the money coming in on Tampa, the lines moved naturally, resulting in the -3 spread we currently have.
What Makes Lose the Bet
There is a solid chance that the Buccs offense doesn’t figure it out this week and continues to struggle heavily especially considering the injuries.
NFL Pick: -3 (-105)
Total
Opening Line
The Rams vs Buccaneers total is sitting at 42.5, which is what it has been since opening.
How the Line Has Moved and Why
The line is not moving even though the spread has widened. I only expect the line to move if some injury announcements are made in regard to the Tampa receiving core.
What Makes Lose the Bet
The only thing that I think would cause the over to hit is if some of the receivers for Tampa return to play.
NFL Pick: Under 42.5 (-105)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Trend to Know
The Buccaneers are on a six-game losing streak against the spread.
Most Profitable Players of this Matchup to Bet On
Tom Brady
Look for Tom to put up high-yard totals and low TD totals.
Mike Evans
Evans has been Brady’s most reliable target this year. Look for him to get a touchdown against the Rams
Allen Robinson
With possibly no Kupp on Sunday, Robinson might finally get a work load. Player Prop odds are currently unavailable.
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