The Tampa Bay Buccaneers righted the ship last week, following up a tough loss to the Rams and an offensive slog in New England with a 45-17 laugher against the Miami Dolphins at home. Philadelphia fell behind in Carolina early last week but roared back to beat the Panthers, 21-18. Now the Buccaneers travel up the East Coast on a short week to face the Eagles in prime time. Philadelphia has won 8 of 15 games against Tampa Bay all time, but Tampa Bay has won two in a row and five of the last seven. The teams last met in September 2018, when the Buccaneers covered at home as three-point favorites, 27-21. Let’s take a look at your best online NFL betting choices for Thursday’s tilt.
NFL Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday, October 14)
When: Thursday, October 14, 2021, 8:20 pm ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: FOX / NFL Network
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Tampa Bay -7 / O/U 51 // Tampa Bay -300 / Philadelphia +240
Why should you bet on the Buccaneers?
Tampa Bay got off to another slow start against Miami, trailing 10-7 after the first quarter. They put up 17 unanswered points in the second quarter and had a ten-point lead at the intermission. However, the Dolphins closed to within seven by the end of the third quarter. From there, Tampa Bay exploded for three touchdowns in the first 6:03 of the fourth quarter to make the game a laugher. The Buccaneers outgained the Dolphins 558-301 for total offense and held the ball for 37:07. They also had a pair of takeaways but did not turn the ball over themselves.
No offense gains more yards through the air than does Tampa Bay, averaging 349.4 yards per game. In scoring, the Bucs rank third, putting up 33.4 points per game. On defense, they only permit 24.4 points per game, good for 19th overall. Tom Brady has an impressive 15:2 TD:INT ratio, and Leonard Fournette has a respectable 251 yards on 56 carries through five games. The Bucs don’t run the offense all that much, although they did have more balance in their win over the Dolphins than they had shown previously.
Why should you put your money on the Eagles?
Philadelphia had lost three straight before their second-half comeback against the Carolina Panthers. At 2-3, they are tied for second place with Washington in the NFC East. The Panthers were ahead of the Eagles, 15-3, before Philadelphia added a field goal going to the intermission. Philadelphia was still down five in the fourth quarter but got a punt block around the four-minute mark. That gave the Eagles a short field, and they converted it with a six-yard run by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
On the day, Philadelphia forced three turnovers in addition to the point block. However, they also turned the ball over twice, and they only possessed the ball for 24:57. Their offense relies heavily on Hurts, who also leads the team in rushing with 256 yards. Dallas Goedert is likely to miss the game due to COVID-19 protocols, which means we should see more out of Zach Ertz. If you like the Eagles, then you see the Bucs’ offense cooling off (and dealing with travel weariness on the short week).
Final Score and Betting Prediction
The Eagles fight hard, week in and week out, and their defense can slow opponents down. However, the Buccaneers play offense at a level above that of the teams that the Eagles have beaten so far. The game will stay close for a half or so, but then Tampa Bay should pull away. I predict a final score of Tampa Bay 30, Philadelphia 20.
NFL Betting Odds
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