Buccaneers vs. Rams 2015 picks and predictions: Tampa Bay is the slight favorite among experts

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive when they take on the St. Louis Rams on Thursday night. With the Rams’ last two games of the season on the road, this could be their final game at Edward Jones Dome with relocation potentially forthcoming.

After surging to 6-6, the Bucs’ wild card dreams took a major hit with a loss to the New Orleans Saints last week. Now sitting two games behind the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay would be eliminated with a loss and wins by both those teams.

But even though they could be sitting at home in January, there’s a solid foundation to build for next season. Jameis Winston looks the part of a franchise quarterback, while Doug Martin has rejuvenated his career with 1,214 rushing yards in 13 games, second in the NFL behind Adrian Peterson. On the defensive side, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David continue to be among the best at their respective positions. There are a lot of encouraging things Bucs fans can take away from this season.

The same can’t be said for the Rams. Although they broke their five-game losing streak last week, the Rams are sitting at 5-8 and would be eliminated from postseason contention with another loss. If there’s one positive development, it’s that new offensive coordinator Rob Boras finally got Todd Gurley going again. Gurley rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions, the first time since Week 8 he’s crossed the 100-yard mark. If the Rams hope to play spoiler down the stretch, they will need to lean on their supremely talented rookie running back.

There’s no obvious consensus on who will win this game, but the Bucs are slightly favored. Five of eight writers at CBS Sports are picking Tampa Bay, and it’s also a 5-3 margin among the SB Nation panel.