by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Thursday, Sep 23, 2021
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, September 26, 2021
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Where to Watch: Fox
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Buccaneers -1.5, Rams +1.5; Over/Under: 55 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Buccaneers -1.5, Rams +1.5; Over/Under: 55.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Buccaneers -1, Rams +1; Over/Under: 55.5 points
Season Record
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-0 (1st place, NFC South)
Los Angeles Rams: 2-0 (2nd place, NFC West)
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Los Angeles Rams Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: won at home on Sep. 19 against the Atlanta Falcons 48-25.
Los Angeles Rams: won on the road on Sep. 19 against the Indianapolis Colts 27-24.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Analysis
The Bucs are coming into this game with a 2-0 record overall and will be playing their first road game of the season here. Their 2 wins came against the Dallas Cowboys in their season opener and the Atlanta Falcons in a divisional matchup last week. Tom Brady had a solid game in that one as he completed 24/36 passes for 276 yards and 5 touchdowns. Leonard Fournette led the team in rushing with 52 yards on 11 carries but they did not really have much of a ground game in that one. Mike Evans led the receivers with 75 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 receptions while Chris Godwin was not far behind him with 62 receiving yards and 1 touchdown on 4 receptions. Carlton Davis led the defense with 8 solo tackles and 1 assisted one while Ndamukong Suh recorded the only sack in that game for his team. Mike Edwards led the defense in picks with 2 interceptions while Shaquil Barrett also came away with 1 in that game. They have scored 79 points in their first two games and they have allowed their opponents to score 54 against them. Their offense has accumulated 772 yards thois season while their defense has allowed 799 yards against them.
Los Angeles Rams Analysis
The Rams are coming into this game with a 2-0 record overall and they are 1-0 in their home games where they will be in this game. They won their first game of the season, also their home opener, against the Chicago Bears in a blowout and then followed that one up with a win on the road against the Indianapolis Colts in a close game in their last one. Matthew Stafford played a pretty good game as he completed 19/30 passes for 278 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Darrell Henderson led the team in rushing with 53 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 carries but then had to leave the game due to injury. Sony Michel got the work after that and he managed to gain 46 rushing yards on 10 carries. The receiving corps had a big day starting with Cooper Kupp who led the team in receiving yards with 163 and 2 touchdowns on 9 receptions. Robert Woods also had an alright day with 64 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Taylor Rapp led the defense with 7 solo tackles, 2 assisted ones, and 0.5 sacks while Darious Williams was right behind him with 7 solo tackles in that game. Multiple players on the defense recorded sacks in that game. It was Troy Reeder and Jalen Ramsey who both came up big with 1 interception each. They have scored 61 points in their first 2 games and they have allowed their opponents to score 38 points against them. Their offense has accumulated 757 yards this season while their defense has allowed 676 yards against them.
Buccaneers vs Rams Prediction
The Rams are coming into this game as home underdogs by about 1-2 points currently. This is the perfect spot for the Rams to catch them and pull off an upset win. The Bucs played very well in their last game but that score looks very different if their defense does not make those pick-6's. The Falcons were able to go shot for shot with them and they must have exhausted a lot of energy in that divisional game. Now they will be on the road in front of hostile fans for the first time this season. Matt Stafford has already looked good in his first 2 games with all of the talent that he has surrounding him here in LA. If anyone can go toe-to-toe with TB12 here it is him. Now that he has two full games under his belt in this new system, he should be more comfortable in this game especially being at home. The Rams will win and upset in this game here at home handing Tom Brady and the Bucs their first loss of the season.
Buccaneers Rams Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 26, 2021 (4:25 pm ET start time) is Rams 37 Buccaneers 34.
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NFL Betting Trends
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 19-17 ATS in all games. 12-6 ATS in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5.
Los Angeles Rams: 10-6 ATS in home games. 10-2 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread.
Key Injuries
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J. Mickens (WR) Ques Sun - Abdominal injury. J. Pierre-Paul (LB) Doub Sun - Shoulder injury. A. Brown (WR) Out indefinitely - Illness.
Los Angeles Rams: L. Floyd (LB) Ques Sun - Ankle injury. B. Skowronek (WR) Ques Sun - Forearm injury. D. Henderson Jr. (RB) Ques Sun - Ribs injury.
Players to Watch
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rob Gronkowski is one player to watch in this game. He leads his team in touchdowns and he has been having a great year so far. He also has a great rapport with Tom Brady so look for him to make some big catches in this game.
Los Angeles Rams: Matt Stafford is one player to watch here. He is looking good so far on his new team and if they are going to win this game it starts with him. Look for him to make the big throws down the field and in the end zone in this one.
Notable Quotes
"I think we've got a lot to learn from. It's always better to learn from winning. I like the way we finished the game." - Bruce Arians on his team not playing to their full potential after a win against the Falcons.
"I was as calm as you could be. It's just doing whatever it takes to win the game. Last time I was here (in Indy), it was a two-minute drive and field goal to win it. I felt like ‘Why not go do it again?'" - Matt Stafford on winning a close game in Indianapolis.
Starting Lineups
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Evans, Mike
WR Godwin, Chris
TE Howard, OJ
TE GRONKOWSKI, ROB
QB BRADY, TOM
RB Jones II, Ronald
RB Fournette, Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
WR Kupp, Cooper
WR Jefferson, Van
WR Woods, Robert
TE Higbee, Tyler
QB STAFFORD, MATTHEW
RB Michel, Sony
Statistical Leaders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Passing: T. Brady (655)
Rushing: L. Fournette (84)
Receiving: C. Godwin (167)
Touchdowns: R. Gronkowski (4)
Sacks: S. Barrett (1)
Tackles: D. White (11)
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: M. Stafford (599)
Rushing: D. Henderson Jr. (123)
Receiving: C. Kupp (271)
Touchdowns: C. Kupp (3)
Sacks: J. Hollins (2)
Tackles: D. Williams (12)
Coaches:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bruce Arians (3rd season)
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (5th season)
Weather Forecast
71 degrees F partly cloudy, 69% humidity, 0% chance of rain, up to 11 mph wind speeds W.
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
