Betting on the Bucs Sunday?

October 5, 2019

NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Week 4 symbolizes the quarter mark in the NFL season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently sitting at 2-2. Two wins coming against the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams. Both on the road and both were statement wins. Then you have two losses where Tampa Bay beat themselves against the San Francisco 49ers in embarrassing fashion and a game that slipped away against the New York Giants.

The Books Got It Wrong

The ups and downs for the Buccaneers this year have been well noted. An ugly Week 1 loss at home to 49ers had the fan base in a rut. Then in Week 4, when Tampa Bay set a franchise record for points scored putting up 55 against the Rams, people seemed to hop online and see if this Bucs team is the real deal. So far, the sportsbooks are taking notice as well.

Last week, before the Buccaneers faced off against the Rams in Los Angeles, Tampa Bay was a +10 point underdog. They beat the Rams by 15 and could’ve easily been 21+. In other words, sportsbooks lost a good amount of money due to the games’ outcome. This week, it seems, they weren’t so hasty.

Tampa Bay A Small Underdog In Week 5

Opening lines for the Buccaneers game this week in New Orleans against the Saints has Tampa Bay as only a +4.5 underdog. Considering the Bucs are facing yet another Top 10 team on the road for the second straight week, a 5.5 point swing is something worth noting. For my novice bettors out there, it simply means the books this week are putting more respect on the Buc’s name. Due to the money coming in and a large percentage of bettors wagering on a Bucs upset, that line has since moved to +3 point underdogs.

Tampa Bay has been pretty average going 4-6 straight up against the Saints in their last 10 matchups. However, in those same 10 games, the Bucs are 6-4 against the spread. So these games have always been competitive, but with New Orleans without Drew Brees, the Saints could be in some real trouble. If Vita Vea and Ndamakung Suh continue their assault on running backs in Week 5 and shut down Alvin Kamara, Teddy Bridgewater will be forced to become very one dimensional. Enter Shaq Barrett and a 2019 Jameis Winston. Ballgame.