Voltar
The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both looking to build on upset wins when they face off on Sunday afternoon.
Neither team was a huge underdog, to be fair, with the line closing at +2.5 in both contests. Still, the Falcons beat the 49ers by a final score of 29-20, and the Bucs blew out the Panthers 43-13 in Carolina.
That win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Falcons, who had won two in a row prior to that. Meanwhile, The Bucs are 2-1 in their last three games after losing their first four games of the season.
The teams split the two meetings last season with the road team winning each contest.
Using the latest odds and analysis, here’s where I’m leaning for this Week 8 matchup with a final score prediction.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Line Movement: The spread has moved by just a point since the odds opened for this game, with the Bucs now -2.5 favorites after opening at -1.5. The total has also moved by a point, going from 45.5 to 44.5. However, the UNDER 45.5 was priced at -118 and now the OVER 44.5 is -115, so the difference is largely negligible.
SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan broke down this game in his Road to 272 Bets column, in which he picks each game every week:
The Falcons are the most mysterious team in the NFL. As they showed in Week 7 by handing the San Francisco 49ers their first loss of the season, the Falcons can beat any team in any given week, but they can also lose to any team.
I think the Buccaneers are better than they showed early in the season. Their defense is third in opponent EPA per play, behind only the Vikings and Seahawks. They can also run the ball effectively, ranking inside the top 10 in both rush EPA and rush success rate. That means if Baker Mayfield can start to get into peak form, Tampa Bay will all of a sudden be a dangerous team to face.
Tampa Bay may surprise some people in the coming weeks.
Pick: Buccaneers -1.5 (-112) via BetRivers
MacMillan put his Falcons fandom to the side for an objective view of the game, but I do like Atlanta in this spot. The Bucs still haven’t won at home, while the Falcons are 2-1 on the road.
Atlanta battled against Baltimore and Chicago in between its wins, with victories in New Orleans and Green Bay earlier this season.
I think the Falcons have what it takes to get another upset win this week.
Final Score Prediction: Falcons 23, Buccaneers 20
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