Another round of Thursday Night NFL Football kicks off with the New England Patriots facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and you can get all the predictions below!
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Thursday Night Football Picks, Predictions, Odds, and More
New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: October 05, 2017, 8:25 PM ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium
Spread: Patriots -4.5
Over/Under: 55
Moneyline: Patriots -235 vs Buccaneers +195
Bet on the Patriots
Tom Brady being Tom Brady is playing as usual. However, the Patriots’ season is not going as expected this year at 2-2.
If there’s a culprit to point the finger at, it’s the defense which has been awful. At the moment, they’re well on the road to giving up a total of 7,309 yards and 512 points and could break the New Orleans Saints’ record for the most yards given up in an NFL season (7,042).
Last Sunday’s 33-30 loss (at home) to the Panthers saw them give up 32.0 points and 456.8 yards, with Carolina scoring four touchdowns and a field goal over seven possessions in the final three quarters.
To say the New England secondary is porous is an understatement. They’ve given up a total of 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns with opposing quarterbacks amassing a 116.5 passer rating.
In watching the video, Stephon Gilmore appears to have much of the blame. Gilmore will once more start alongside Malcolm Butler at cornerback, but with receivers like Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson, quarterback Jameis Winston can make it a long night for him.
It’s unlikely that the defense will be ready for this game, which means Tom Brady will have to work his magic once more to produce enough on offense to win the game.
New England’s ground attack needs to step up as well. It would be of enormous help to Brady if Mike Gillislee kicks into gear.
New England Game Results
Date |
Opponent |
Game |
Result |
Score |
ATS |
Spread |
OU |
Total |
Sep 7, 2017 |
vs Kansas City |
REG |
L |
42-27 |
L |
-8 |
O |
47.5 |
Sep 17, 2017 |
@ New Orleans |
REG |
W |
36-20 |
W |
-6 |
O |
55.5 |
Sep 24, 2017 |
vs Houston |
REG |
W |
36-33 |
L |
-13.5 |
O |
44 |
Oct 1, 2017 |
vs Carolina |
REG |
L |
33-30 |
L |
-9 |
O |
47.5 |
Bet on the Buccaneers
The Bucs have a shot at winning this game - or, at least, covering. But, Jameis Winston needs to be spot on.
Winston has had a good three starts this season, but at times he makes costly mistakes which land him in hot water.
If he’s to measure up to Tom Brady, he needs to have a near flawless game. Lucky for him he’ll be facing one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.
Tampa Bay is also playing well on the ground which is an advantage. Running back Jacquizz Rodgers leads the way with 150 rushing yards on 35 carries in the two home wins. However, Doug Martin might start in this game.
Something to keep in mind is that the Bucs have home field advantage. They hold a six-game winning streak at home ranging from last season which includes the 25-23 win over the Giants in Week 4.
Tampa Bay gained over 300 yards passing and over 100 yards rushing last week against the Giants.
If they can get another performance as such tonight, it will be the second time in franchise history they’ve done it in back-to-back games.
And, considering New England has allowed over 300 yards passing and over 100 yards rushing in two straight games, they might just go ahead and do it.
Tampa Bay Game Results
Date |
Opponent |
Game |
Result |
Score |
ATS |
Spread |
OU |
Total |
Sep 17, 2017 |
vs Chicago |
REG |
W |
29-7 |
W |
-7 |
U |
44 |
Sep 24, 2017 |
@ Minnesota |
REG |
L |
34-17 |
L |
Ev |
O |
41 |
Oct 1, 2017 |
vs NY Giants |
REG |
W |
25-23 |
L |
-2.5 |
O |
46 |
Patriots vs Buccaneers Betting Trends
- New England is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
- New England is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of New England's last 5 games
- Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Tampa Bay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
- Tampa Bay is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Expert Picks and Predictions
The Patriots are 4.5-point favorites to win this game. The over/under on total points scored is 54.5.
ATS Pick: New England -4.5
Straight Up Pick: Patriots
Over/under Pick: Over 54.5.
Given how bad both defenses are, it’s fairly certain this game will turn into a shootout that lights up the scoreboard. So no matter what the total is, I’m betting the over as a lock pick.