Week 15 see the first NFL matchup of these NFC South runner-ups. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to Atlanta, and the sportsbook installed the Falcons as decent-sized home dogs. Our expert advice breaks down the NFL betting odds, which sides the sports betting markets have backed so far, and Buccaneers vs Falcons betting picks including some props picks recommendations for you.
| Game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5) at Atlanta Falcons (4-9) Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Time: 1:00 p.m. ET Television: FOX |
Bettors backed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week as 6½-point favorites. They bought that point spread up to a touchdown, before some money came back on the Minnesota Vikings at +7. It wasn’t that the Bucs covered so much as the Vikings refused to, by missing three field goals in this NFL matchup.
That combined with some head-scratching calls from referee Brad Allen’s crew, and the Bucs covered, winning 26-14. Two-way action on the total of 52½ fell 12-points to the under.
Also last week, betting markets soured on the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe they were supporting the Los Angeles Chargers, have mercy, but either way the Falcons opened as 2½-point favorites and closed as a short underdog at kickoff. The total took split action at 49.
Mired in a 17-all tie, the two teams threw back-to-back-to-back fourth-quarter interceptions, locking down the under and making it an ironic coin flip to win, when the Chargers managed an end-of-regulation field goal to win the Week 14 NFL matchup 20-17.
Buccaneers vs Falcons Betting Picks: NFL Betting Lines
Moneyline
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -255 (8-5) | Atlanta Falcons +215 (4-9)
Oddsmakers seemed to price the Buccaneers on the light side when this line became widely available Sunday night. By the time the dust settled Monday morning, markets moved in favor of Tampa Bay. Opening at -225, the Bucs peaked as high as -270, before bets came back in favor of the Falcons.
The current price is -255 in favor of Tampa Bay with a buy-back price of +215 for Atlanta. We’d give the price edge here to the Bucs and also expect them to win.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -255 to win
Point Spread
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6 (7-6) | Atlanta Falcons +6 (5-8)
The light side of that price on the point spread opened the Bucs as four-point chalk. At the same time Monday, it moved to 5½, and by the following day, up to six.
We’d expect this number to go up based in no small part on Julio Jones’ status which isn’t trending in a positive direction this week. Lay the points with the Bucs expecting this number to close with extra juice or possibly at 6½.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6
Over/Under
49½ points
While it opened at 51½, you might have had to have your finger already on the under button in order to have caught that total. It quickly dropped to 51, then the next day to 50½, and on Thursday, the bottom fell out and it’s now 49½.
While the recommendation here is the under, patience might bring back a better number to the board than 49½ Wait for some Julio-Jones-might-play hype and see if the total jumps back up to 50 or, better still, 50½.
Buccaneers vs Falcons Betting Picks : Under 49½
Final Score: Buccaneers 28, Falcons 21
