Buccaneers vs Rams Free Pick, NFL Free Picks, NFL Predictions 11/23/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
TAMPA BAY @ LA RAMS (LAR -7, 49.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
BUCCANEERS @ RAMS 11/23/25
The Los Angeles Rams will take on a fellow division leader on Sunday night when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Inglewood, California. The Rams (8-2) lead the NFC West and Tampa Bay (6-4) sits atop the NFC South.
After losing to the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, the Rams (8-2) have won six of seven games to climb up to the No. 2 spot in the NFC. In Week 10, they easily defeated the San Francisco 49ers, making up for an earlier loss to the Niners. In the race for the top slot in the NFC West, the Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-19 last week despite finding it difficult to penetrate their defense.
Despite throwing for a season-low 130 yards, Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford had two touchdown passes to give him an NFL-best 27 scoring tosses. Kyren Williams ran for 91 yards and a touchdown, while Puka Nacua had seven catches for 75 yards. Seattle’s Sam Darnold was intercepted four times by the Rams on defense, including two picks from Kam Kinchens.
"Our defense has been great," McVay remarked. "I believe that throughout the most crucial times, they have performed at their peak. I felt it was fantastic that we were able to tighten up in the red zone and force turnovers. When you're (obtaining) such outcomes, both the offense and defense have a great deal of confidence."
The injuries to offensive tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle, knee), tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle), and safety Quentin Lake (elbow) are a major concern. All three players were placed on injured reserve. Using Higbee, Davis Allen, rookie Terrance Ferguson, and Colby Parkinson in three tight-end sets has been one of McVay's strong points.
With Stafford racking up 22 touchdown passes and zero picks in his last seven games, the multiple tight end sets have been the most recent illustration of McVay's constantly evolving offensive strategy.
Despite being in his third season with Tampa Bay, quarterback Baker Mayfield is still looking good. He has only three interceptions in 10 games after leading the NFL with 16 last season. He has 17 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 63.5%. Those numbers are down from his stellar totals of 71.4% and 41, respectively, from last season.
In 2022, Mayfield made a brief stop in Los Angeles to revitalize his career. He demonstrated that he still had the ability to win in just five late-season games (four of which he started) for the Rams. That is what led to a free-agent contract with the Buccaneers that offseason.
"It was pivotal in my journey," Mayfield stated last week while discussing his brief stay in Los Angeles. It made it easier for me to rediscover the excitement and fun of football. Additionally, learning from those coaches helped me figure out what offensive scheme I truly wanted to play in. I will always be thankful for it.
After two Pro Bowl selections in two seasons with the Buccaneers, Mayfield has Tampa Bay leading the NFC South by a half-game over the Carolina Panthers. Since the bye week, the Bucs defense that helped propel the team to a 6-2 start this season has been facing tough times. Tampa Bay is coming off a 44-32 setback at Buffalo last week and a 28-23 home loss to the New England Patriots in Week 10. Josh Allen of the Bills ran for three additional touchdowns and threw three touchdown passes. Tampa Bay had a season-high 202 yards on the ground, led by 106 rushing yards from Sean Tucker.
Running back Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) and linebacker Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), who were sidelined Friday along with guard Ben Bredeson (hamstring) and cornerback Jamel Dean (hip), will not be returning for another week. Following an injury on October 5, coach Todd Bowles has declared wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) questionable and progressing toward participating. Additionally doubtful are cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) and linebacker Markees Watts (hand).
The Rams defense is second in the NFL with 17.2 points allowed per game. In terms of turnover ratio, the Buccaneers are third at +9, while the Rams are second at +10.
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GAME TOTAL OVER 49.5
We know both of these offenses are capable of putting up points. The Rams average 27.2 points per game, which is sixth in the NFL. Tampa Bay comes in at No. 11 averaging 25.2 per game. The big thing that will play a role in today’s outcome is the Tampa Bay pass defense. It’s bad. The Bucs rank 30th in passing yards allowed (280.8). They are 29th in yards per attempt (8.26) and yards per reception allowed (12.59). Stafford and the Rams are No. 6 in passing offense and No. 1 in passing touchdowns (27). The Rams defense is solid, but the Bucs have proven they can score on anyone (38 vs SEA, 25 vs PHI, 30 vs SF, 32 vs BUF).
