Rams vs. Bucs Opening Betting Lines
With their win over the Cardinals on Monday night all but assured, the Los Angeles Rams opened at FanDuel as 3-point road underdogs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs. The Bucs were -168 on FanDuel’s early moneyline, with the Rams getting back odds of +142.
SuperBook USA also posted Rams-Bucs numbers in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, going an important half-point shorter on the favorite.
NFL Playoffs
Divisional Round
Saturday, January 22
1:30 pm pacific
Bengals 47
Titans -3.5 EV5:15 pm
49ers 47.5
Packers -5.5Sunday, January 23
12:00 pm
Rams 48.5
Buccaneers -2.53:30 pm
Bills 54.5
Chiefs -2— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) January 18, 2022
The total moved from 47.5 to 48 at FanDuel within the first few minutes of wagering, while BetMGM dealt 48.5.
Check back here for updated lines, and always shop around the sport betting marketplace for the best odds for your wagers.
How They Got Here
The Buccaneers look to take the next step toward defending their Super Bowl championship when they host the Rams on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, CBS).
Tampa Bay (13-4 SU, 9-8 ATS) opened their playoff push with a comfortable 31-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, easily cashing as 7.5-point favorites. The Bucs are now 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS at home this season.
The Rams (13-5 SU, 9-9 ATS) dominated the Cardinals in the first half Monday, building a 21-0 lead en route to a 34-11 victory, as Arizona never found its footing offensively.
The Los Angeles D put the clamps on the Cardinals, who went 0-for-6 on third-down conversions, to 40 yards in the first half, as Kyler Murray completed just seven of 17 pass attempts and threw two picks, one returned for a touchdown.
Among the injury concerns for Tampa Bay, All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs left Sunday’s win over the Eagles in the first quarter with an ankle injury. His status is uncertain for the Divisional Round.
The Week 3 matchup between these teams in L.A. closed pick ’em on oddsboards, before the Rams defeated the Bucs, 34-24. The game went ‘over’ the 55.5 total.
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Are Rams Super Bowl-Calibre?
The Rams have been streaky, starting the year 7-1 before losing three straight. A 5-1 finish was enough to win the NFC West, but questions remain as to whether or not they’re ready to win a Super Bowl.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was acquired last offseason to lead the run to the Super Bowl, but inconsistency has been an issue. Stafford has thrown for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns but was intercepted 17 times and sacked 30 times.
Cooper Kupp led all NFL receivers with 145 catches, 1,947 yards, and 16 TDs. Even with Robert Woods sidelined by a knee injury, defenses couldn’t contain Kupp even knowing the ball was heading his way.
Van Jefferson (802 yards, six TDs), Tyler Higbee (560, 5), and Odell Beckham Jr. (305, 5) are Stafford’s top targets when he’s not looking to Kupp.
With Darrell Henderson Jr. on injured reserve, Sony Michel has seen the bulk of the carries over the final six weeks of the regular season, but Cam Akers has returned and is again a factor.
The Super Bowl is slated for SoFi Stadium, the Rams’ home. Should they get though Tampa Bay next week, they’ll be a win away from a chance to claim the championship on their home field, just as the Buccaneers did a year ago.
Brady’s Bucs
Brady went 29 of 37 for 271 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles, after a regular season in which he completed 485 of 719 attempts for 5,316 yards. Brady threw for 43 TDs against just 12 INTs, making a strong case for the MVP Award.
Top running back Leonard Fournette missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and his status against Dallas is uncertain. In his absence, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard each rushed for a touchdown.
An injury to Chris Godwin and the departure of Antonio Brown have thinned the receiving corps, but Brady, who is gunning for his eighth Super Bowl title, still has Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski at his disposal.
More NFL: 49ers-Packers odds | Bills-Chiefs odds | Bengals-Titans odds | Super Bowl 2022 odds | Super Bowl MVP odds
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