Winning in the playoffs comes as naturally as breathing to Tom Brady, who chalked up his 35th postseason win in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ one-sided victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round.
Now it is on to the Divisional Round, where Brady is an incredible 13-2 in his career. Hoping to put a dent in the 44-year-old’s record at this stage of the playoffs are the Los Angeles Rams, who are quarterbacked by a man with a very different playoff record to Brady.
Matthew Stafford had been 0-3 in his 13-year career in the playoffs — which shouldn’t come as a surprise given who he used to play for — before the Rams’ crushing win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Now with one win under his belt, Stafford and an in-form Rams team are hungry for more.
Let’s get into our same game parlay for this matchup, available at +719 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook.
Los Angeles Rams +4.5 alternate spread (-150)
Rob Gronkowski anytime touchdown scorer (+100)
Cam Akers anytime touchdown scorer (+135)
Parlay odds: +719
Los Angeles Rams +4.5 alternate spread (-150)
There’s no getting away from the fact the Cardinals were bad on Monday but that shouldn’t detract from how on point the Rams were. It was their 6th victory in the last 7 games with LA going 5-2 ATS during that run. They have been playing well for a while but the Wild Card win was a more complete performance than we’ve seen previously as they dominated in all 3 phases.
The defensive line is a wrecking ball at the minute with Aaron Donald playing at a really high level, while Von Miller’s last three games have been his best showings since joining the Rams. Miller is riding a five-game sack streak and the Rams stack up well against a Buccaneers offensive that could be without Tristan Wirfs and Ryan Jensen. Of course, stopping Tom Brady is close to impossible but with a few of his favorites weapons missing and a bit of pressure in his face, the Rams can at least limit his impact.
The Rams’ offense also matches up well with the Buccaneers defense, particularly with Cam Akers back on the field. He and Sony Michel give LA an excellent running-back tandem, which alleviates some of the pressure on Stafford to make big throws all the time. Stafford was on point against the Cards, finishing with a 154.7 QB rating, helped of course by having Cooper Kupp and a rejuvenated Odell Beckham Jr. The Rams have already beaten the Bucs once this year and the stage looks set for them to at least run the champs close again.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rob Gronkowski anytime touchdown scorer (+100)
It’s the playoffs so if you have the chance to back Rob Gronkowski at plus-money to get a touchdown, you take it. Gronkowski’s playoff record isn’t quite as impressive as long-time running buddy Brady’s but it’s still remarkable. Gronk is 17-4 in 21 postseason games, scoring 15 touchdowns in that time. That’s not a bad return and it’s worth adding him to the parlay to score again having got across the paint against the Eagles.
Gronkowski has 7 touchdown receptions on the year and is going up against a Rams defense that doesn’t play tight ends all that well. Brady has leaned on Gronkowski heavily in the back end of the season, targeting him 10 times or more in 3 of the last 5 games. Brady could go to Gronk even more regularly than that if facing constant pressure from the Rams and there’s ample scope for him to get in the endzone and for LA to cover.
Cam Akers anytime touchdown scorer (+135)
Akers’ rapid comeback from an Achilles injury is nothing short of remarkable. Ruled out for the year in July, Akers was the Rams’ lead back in the win over the Cardinals, registering 55 yards on 17 carries, while he also had 1 reception for 40 yards. Akers looked dynamic and sharp against Arizona and will be a key weapon in Sunday’s game at Raymond James Stadium.
Akers proved last year he can be a three-down back who can cut it on the big stage when accumulating 221 total yards and 2 touchdowns in the Rams’ two postseason games. He got 3 red zone looks last week and it feels like you are getting a bit of value with him at better than even money given how important he was expected to be to the team before his injury.
The Bucs held the Eagles run game in check for much of their wild card clash but allowed Boston Scott to scamper away to the endzone late on and have now given up 12 TDs to running backs on the year. Only three teams have given up more receiving touchdowns (5) to running backs this season and Akers looks well set for his first TD since his injury.
Don’t forget to read our full game previews for every NFL Divisional Round matchup!
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