Rams (13-5) at Bucs (14-4)

Time/TV: 3 p.m., NBC

Opening line: Buccaneers by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBook.

Series record: Rams lead 18-9.

Last meeting: Rams beat Buccaneers 3424 Sept. 26, 2021 at Inglewood, California.

Last week: Rams beat Cardinals 34-11; Buccaneers defeated Eagles 31-15.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rams: NFL receiving leader Cooper Kupp had the quietest game in his recordbreaking season for the Rams last week against Arizona, matching his season low with five receptions for a season-low 61 yards. The receiving Triple Crown winner still made his 17th touchdown reception of the year, and he freed up the rest of the Rams’ offense as an obvious target of the Cardinals’ defense.

Buccaneers: With leading receiver Chris Godwin lost to a season-ending knee injury and Antonio Brown no longer with the defending Super Bowl champs after refusing to re-enter a game, WR Mike Evans continues to show why the Bucs were such an attractive destination for Brady in free agency in 2020.

KEY MATCHUP

Brady and a nicked-up offensive line vs. the Rams’ pass rush featuring DT

Aaron Donald and LB Von Miller: No QB consistently does a better job of getting rid of the football than Brady. Teams that have given the Bucs the most trouble over the past two seasons, including the Rams, have been able to make the seven-time Super Bowl champion uncomfortable in the pocket. He threw for 432 yards but just one TD in the most recent meeting. The Rams sacked him three times.

Sam Farmer’s pick: This was a team the Buccaneers didn’t want to see. The Rams aren’t scared of them and tend to play well on the East Coast. Matthew Stafford keeps it rolling. Rams 30, Buccaneers 24