Thursday Night Football: Bucs Underdogs On The Road Against Rams

USA Today

Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on the road in Week 15 to face the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. Although both teams are under .500 and could finish the season with losing records, the Bucs still have something to play for this week. Winston and company are still in the playoff hunt in the NFC and can significantly improve their chances of clinching one of the two NFC Wild Card spots with a win on Thursday Night Football against the struggling Rams.

As for St. Louis, Jeff Fisher will have to win the team’s remaining three games to avoid five straight losing seasons as a head coach. Fisher seemed to have the Rams on the right track earlier in the 2015 campaign winning four of the first seven games but has since fallen off drastically.

The Rams will enter Thursday’s game against the Bucs having lost five of their last six games. St. Louis is desperately hoping to close the season on a high note with the team’s fate uncertain regarding whether they’ll be moving to Los Angeles next year.

Although the Rams have struggled throughout the second half of the season, St. Louis is favored heading into this matchup with Tampa Bay. According to Sportsbook.ag, Fisher’s squad is sporting a -1 point spread due to the home-field advantage they’ll have in potentially their final home game in the city of St. Louis.

Despite the home-field advantage and the added element of possibly playing their last home game in St. Louis, the Bucs are the better all-around football team. Winston has polished his game over the course of his rookie season becoming a genuine threat to opponents under center while the team has rallied around their new face of the franchise in Tampa Bay.

The Bucs at +1 is a safe bet. Tampa Bay should get the win and improve their chances of being playoff bounce this season.