Time, Bracket, Picks, Spread And NFL Playoff Predictions

The Divisional round of the 2022 NFL playoffs gets underway again on Sunday afternoon when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Los Angeles Rams.

It’s setting up to be another exhilarating matchup, following Saturday’s thrilling battles that saw both the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers advance to their respective conference championship games on last-second field goals.

Both teams involved in this contest are coming off blowout wins in the Wild Card round. Tom Brady and the Bucs obliterated the Philadelphia Eagles and Matthew Stafford’s Rams vanquished the NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals.

The betting line suggest this will be much more tightly-contested clash, as Tampa is only a narrow home favorite against a team it lost by double-digits against during the regular season.

Will the Buccaneers get revenge and finally pick up a win against Los Angeles after going 0-2 in the Brady era against this opponent? Or will the Rams continue dominating this matchup and reach the NFC Championship Game for the second time in the last four years?

You can find a prediction for the game at the end of this article. Before getting to the picks, take a look at the updated 2022 NFL Playoff bracket—including scores and results from Saturday’s Divisional games—plus the start time, TV channel and updated odds against the spread for both of Sunday’s contests.

Divisional Round Bracket And Scores

Saturday, Jan. 22

• Bengals 19 – Titans 16
• 49ers 13 – Packers 10

Divisional Round Viewing Guide

Sunday, Jan. 23

• Rams at Buccaneers (-2.5, o/u 48), 3:05 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports Live)
• Bills at Chiefs (KC -1, o/u 54), 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)

Buccaneers (13-4) vs. Rams (12-5) Preview

Matchup: NFC No. 2 vs. No. 4

Date: Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022

Start Time: 3:05 p.m. ET

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Rams at Buccaneers Odds

NFL odds courtesy of FanDuel

Point Spread: Buccaneers -2

The Bucs are laying two in a game that most of the public likes the underdog in.

As of Sunday afternoon, 55 percent of all bets and 77 percent of the cash wagered against the spread is on the Rams +2.

Despite the lopsided public action, the line has only moved a half-point in LA’s direction since going up on the board.

Total: Over-under 48

Like the point spread, the total on this Divisional Round matchup has hardly moved from its opening mark.

After starting at 48.5, the over-under is now down to 48 despite extremely one-sided public betting.

With kickoff mere hours away, the over has drawn 71 percent of tickets and an incredible 98 percent of the handle.

Moneyline:  TB -145, LAR +120

The Buccaneers are -145 moneyline favorites, meaning one would need to risk $1.45 to return $1 on the defending champions winning by any margin today.

At +120 moneyline odds, the Rams would net $1.20 for each $1 wagered on the upset.

These odds imply a 59.2 percent probability that Tampa will return to the NFC Championship Game for the second straight year. Los Angeles has a 45.5 percent implied probability of escaping the Divisional Round with a victory.

These percentages eclipse 100 due to the “vig”, or the cut a bookmaker takes for facilitating wagers.

Divisional Round Betting Trends: Buccaneers vs. Rams

• The Buccaneers have gone 10-8 against the spread (ATS) during the 2021 NFL season and subsequent playoffs.
• In the same span, the Rams have mustered a 9-9 ATS record.
• Tampa has been the best team to bet at home this year, going 7-2 ATS. The club was favored in every game at Raymond James Stadium this season.
• The Rams fared poorly on the road in 2021, going just 4-5 ATS. The team did cover in its only game as a visiting underdog this season.
• Los Angeles has outright won and covered in seven of its last eight matchups with Tampa Bay.
• The underdog has beaten the number in each of the last four games involving these teams.
• The total has gone over in all five of the most recent head-to-head clashes between the Rams and Bucs.
• The Bucs have beaten the Rams just once since the start of the 2011 season, a 55-40 win during the 2019 regular season prior to Tom Brady’s arrival. They’ve lost both regular season meetings over the last two seasons.

NFL Playoff Predictions: Rams at Buccaneers

Spread Pick: Tampa -2

Total Pick: Over 48

Prediction: Buccaneers 27 – Rams 21