The Sports Wire

Rams at Buccaneers

Prediction updated
Rams at Buccaneers · Week 17 · Sun, Jan 3 · 12:00 PM CT

Our call: RamsLean

4 of 4 models favor the Rams.

On average the models have the Rams by 4.1 points, a 63% win chance.

Early prediction, updates weekly until kickoff.

Data through Week 5's games (the last played Mon, Oct 12), from nflverse play-by-play; nflverse last published it .

Los Angeles Rams (2–3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1–4) Sun, Jan 3, 2027 Kickoff 12:00 PM CT Tampa Bay

Every model

ModelSaysWin chance
Consensus (our call)The average of Our model, Elo, SRS and ESPN FPI (whichever are there); the market is left out. This is our call.Rams by 4.163%
Our model ExperimentalOur ratings from nflverse play-by-play: opponent-adjusted EPA per play, home field and the starting quarterback, frozen on the 2024 season and tested once on 2025. Experimental.Rams by 6.770%
EloEvery team's Elo rating from every game since 1999 (FiveThirtyEight's method).Rams by 3.763%
SRSSimple Rating System: points scored minus allowed, adjusted for the schedule, blended with last season early on. Settings chosen by hand, not tuned.Rams by 1.956%
ESPN FPIESPN's Football Power Index matchup predictor, read from ESPN before kickoff. Read in the week of the game.Available game week—
RecordThe team with the better record this season; equal records go to the home team. A winner only.Rams—

Our model is experimental. Season so far (79 games, Weeks 1–4 reconstructed): it missed the final margin by 9.8 points on average, the market's margin by 9.8; ours was closer in 38 of 79. Scorecard →

Numbers to know

Starting quarterbacks

Not named yet. The quarterbacks we assume show here in game week: once every earlier game is in, or two days before Week 17's first kickoff.

Injuries

The official Week 17 injury report isn't out yet. It shows here once nflverse has it, in the week of the game.

Latest news

Los Angeles Rams

More Rams news →

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

More Buccaneers news →

Headlines and a line or two from each outlet's own feed, linked to the original; the stories are theirs, not ours.

Matchup

Opponent-adjusted, from nflverse play-by-play, through Week 5 (the games played so far); league rank in brackets.

RamsBuccaneers
Net EPA per play+0.10 (4th)−0.01 (19th)
Offense, EPA per play+0.05 (10th)−0.06 (26th)
Defense, EPA per play allowed (lower is better)−0.05 (3rd)−0.04 (9th)
Passing offense, EPA per dropback+0.11 (13th)−0.06 (28th)
Rushing offense, EPA per run−0.06 (15th)−0.04 (11th)
Offense success rate46% (8th)41% (23rd)

Last 5 meetings

The Rams won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

Nov 23, 2025Week 12, 2025Rams 34, Buccaneers 7at Los Angeles
Nov 6, 2022Week 9, 2022Buccaneers 16, Rams 13at Tampa Bay
Jan 23, 2022Divisional, 2021Rams 30, Buccaneers 27at Tampa Bay
Sep 26, 2021Week 3, 2021Rams 34, Buccaneers 24at Los Angeles
Nov 23, 2020Week 11, 2020Rams 27, Buccaneers 24at Tampa Bay