The Buccaneers and Rams, two teams in the heat of the NFC playoff race, meet up on Sunday Night Football in Week 12. The Bucs try to end a two-game skid, while the Rams look for their sixth straight victory in a game propelled by MVP-caliber QBs in Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield and the Rams' Matthew Stafford.
The NFC battle kicks off on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
Below, we'll break down our Buccaneers vs. Rams prediction and Sunday Night Football picks for Week 12, including the top player picks on PrizePicks' real money NFL game, highlighted by Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, and Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Puka Nacua.
Buccaneers vs. Rams Prediction, Sunday Night Football Picks
The Buccaneers and Rams meet for the first time since Tampa's 16-13 win during the 2022 season. The previous year, the Rams upset the Bucs in the 2021 Divisional Round en route to a Super Bowl title.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
- The Bucs rank seventh in DVOA in total defense, just behind the Browns and Lions
- Tampa Bay’s rush defense, which was ranked fifth at the end of last season and third-best in the NFL after the season’s first month, has dropped to tenth, allowing 100.4 rush yards per game.
- On the offensive side, the Bucs rank 17th in total yards gained (332.2), 22nd in rushing (110.0), and 15th in passing (222.2).
- The first five Bucs games this season were one-score affairs, with Tampa Bay going 4-1. Since then, only one contest has been of the one-score variety, a 5-point loss to New England in Week 10.
Los Angeles Rams Preview
- The Rams defense is ranked 13th in total yards (323.0), 11th against the run (100.7), and sixth in pass yards per play (6.11).
- On the offensive side, the Rams rank eighth in total yards gained (360.9) and sixth in passing (246.9).
- L.A. has won five in a row. The last time they took six in a row was in 2018, when they started 8-0 en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
- The Rams are second in both offensive DVOA and defensive DOVA, one of four teams (Packers, Seahawks, Lions) to rank in the top-ten in both offense and defense.
Buccaneers vs. Rams Prediction, Sunday Night Football Picks
Here are three Buccaneers vs. Rams player picks for Week 12 for PrizePicks real money NFL game, including Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Puka Nacua.
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Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Projection vs. Rams: 236.5 Receiving Yards
- Bucs QB Baker Mayfield started the season with 2+ passing TDs in five of the first six games. He has just one 2+ TD games over the last four games.
- Mayfield’s 340 pass attempts are the sixth-most in the league.
- The journeyman passed for 289, 379, and 256 in Weeks 4-6, but only has 206.5 yards per game over his last three outings.
- The former Heisman Trophy winner's passer rating of 97.0 ranks 13th in the NFL.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford Projection vs. Buccaneers: 249.5 Pass Yards
- Rams QB Matthew Stafford has passed for 245+ yards in six of ten games.
- Stafford’s 130 passing yards vs. the Seahawks last week was the fewest since he threw for 110 against the Jets in Week 16 last year.
- The former Lion has 2+ passing TDs in eight of ten games, including a league-leading 15 over his last four games.
- His 27 passing TDs leads the NFL, 6 more than any other QB. LIttle wonder he's in the MVP conversation.
- The Rams QB has a 112.7 passer rating, second best in the NFL behind Drake Maye.
Rams WR Puka Nacua Projection vs. Buccaneers: 87.5 Receiving Yards
- Nacau has three 100+ receiving games this season, tied for fourth most in the league.
- Despite missing a game-and-a-half due to injury, Nacua’s 850 receiving yards is fourth-most in the NFL.
- The Hawaii native's 7.3 catches a game ranks second behind Ja’Marr Chase, who is averaging 7.9 per game.
- The fifth-round pick out of BYU has caught 83.9% of passes thrown to him, the highest rate in the NFL (min. 30 receptions)
Can the Buccaneers rebound after back-to-back losses and stay on top in the NFC South? Or will the NFC-leading Rams win for the sixth straight week? The NFC battle kicks off on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
As the NFL season enters its 12th week, there's no better place to get real money action with your NFL predictions than on PrizePicks.
There is a wide variety of player stat projections on the NFL board, so you can make predictions on whatever you'd like — from yards to field goals. Just pick at least two players and pick More or Less on their stats to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the NFL season for more NFL predictions for your PrizePicks and NFL DFS Lineups.
