Falcons vs. Buccaneers Picks and Predictions: Week 8

Atlanta Falcons (4-3 SU, 3-4 ATS) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3 SU, 4-3 ATS)
NFL Football Week 8
Date/Time: Sunday, October 27th, 2024, 1:00PM (EST)
Where: Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL.
TV: FOX

Betting Odds

Point Spread: ATL -3/TB +3
Moneyline: ATL -140/TB +120
Total: 46.5

The Atlanta Falcons suffered a disappointing 34-14 loss on the road against the Seattle Seahawks last week, which snapped a 3-game winning streak. Prior to the defeat, the Falcons had established a lot of momentum on the offensive side of the football and appeared to be separating themselves as the top team in the NFC South. Unfortunately, the Falcons simply made too many mistakes, including three turnovers, which killed some of their momentum. However, the Falcons will have a chance to bounce back this Sunday and also take back sole control of the NFC South with a road trip against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in front of a Monday Night Football audience. At one point, the Ravens led by 24 points, but the Buccaneers showed some toughness by battling back to make the score respectable. While the loss to the Ravens hurt, the Buccaneers biggest losses on the night were in the form of injuries as both star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin went down. Godwin’s was the most serious as he suffered a dislocated ankle, which will end his 2024 season. Meanwhile, Evans is expected to miss some time, which means the focal points of this Tampa Bay offense will not be on the field for this Sunday’s homestand against the Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Analysis

The big question for the Buccaneers will be who will step up in the receiving corps for the offense moving forward? Despite some turnover concerns, QB Baker Mayfield has played well but he will also likely not see the separation going forward that Evans and Godwin produced down the field. Against a poor Ravens pass defense, Tampa Bay could not get much going outside of Godwin and Evans last week. Receivers Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard should see an increase in action, but I would not expect any major success from either candidate.

The one thing the Buccaneers have done well in recent weeks is run the football. In fact, the Bucs backfield has turned into a trio that includes Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker. All three tailbacks have shown success, and Tampa Bay has leaned toward the hot-hand approach. The problem is that the offense rarely sticks to the ground game in Todd Bowles’s offense. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the offense adapts to a heavier rushing attack or continues to try to execute the same style of offense that we have witnessed all season.

For Atlanta, this should be an excellent bounce-back opportunity against a Tampa Bay defense that has struggled tremendously as a collective unit. RB Bijan Robinson will draw an ideal match-up, and so will the Atlanta passing attack, which has improved greatly from the start of the season. WR Drake London also seems to have advantage match-ups, and I have a lot of confidence that the Falcons offense will return to form. Despite the big loss to Seattle last week, the Falcons offense was still effective moving the football but just coughed up too many turnovers. As a result, I expect that they will continue their success in a much better match-up this week.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Trends

• Atlanta is 4-8 ATS in the last 12 games.
• Atlanta is 4-13 SU in the last 17 games on the road.
• Atlanta is 4-1 SU in the last five games against NFC opponents.
• Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in the last five games against Tampa Bay.
• Tampa Bay is 13-7 ATS in the last 20 games.
• Tampa Bay has hit the “over” in 4 of the last five games.
• Tampa Bay is 10-5 SU in the last 15 games.
• Tampa Bay has hit the “over” in 10 of the last 13 games against Atlanta

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Prediction

I believe the losses to Godwin and Evans are a huge deal for the way this Tampa Bay offense operates. Without the receiving threats, I believe their running attack will be much less effective. Give me Atlanta in an obvious bounce-back situation!

Jay’s Pick: Take Atlanta -3