Thursday night’s NFL game in Week 5 sees the surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers make the short trip to Georgia to take on division rivals the Atlanta Falcons in what should be a tightly-contested games.
Our tape-grinder extraordinaire Andrew Cunneen has schemed up a few trick plays to keep Paddy’s traders on their toes with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons Bet Builder…
NFL Week 5 Thursday Night Bet Builder
Moneyline: Buccaneers
Total Points: Over 43.5
Cade Otton to Score a Touchdown
Bucky Irving – Over 44.5 Rushing Yards
A Multi Match Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 18/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
WHEN: Friday, October 4 – 1:20am
WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Sky Sports NFL
Moneyline: Buccaneers
This is a fascinating battle between divisional rivals who wear the same colour uniforms, but are at different stages in relation to their Super Bowl window.
The idea that Tampa Bay would win a championship again after 2003 seemed like a foolish hope, right up until the time where Tom Brady went down to Florida and turned the franchise around.
Atlanta have watched this happen, and could never quite get over the hump. The irony being that they blew a substantial lead in a Super Bowl against Tom Brady back in 2017.
And that psychological edge does exist. Even now, after binning Arthur Smith and having a top-ten roster in the NFL, there’s a sense that it just isn’t quite clicking again.
Kirk Cousins looks semi-comfortable, but Bijan Robison is still getting too few touches, Drake London chooses when to perform – all of this while Tampa Bay are 3-1, fresh off a big win over Philadelphia.
Culture matters, and right now, Tampa Bay are a better team despite their lesser expectations.
Total Points: Over 43.5
Of course, the best bit about these matchups is the familiarity with each other. So, offensive coordinators have to really find something deep in the bag of tricks to roll out, and those special plays are generally kept for the big divisional games.
The best way to gauge total points is deciding whether or not you could see a certain scoreline if one team slightly underperformed. Would you be surprised if Tampa Bay won this 24-20? I wouldn’t.
Cade Otton to Score a Touchdown
While not too many are afraid of Baker Mayfield, I do think that the awful thing about dealing with Tampa Bay is having to cover two different A-level receivers.
Mike Evans has been around the league long enough that nobody should be leaving him one-v-one, so you can absolutely guarantee Atlanta won’t let him wreck the game.
But the same can be said of Chris Godwin who looks revitalized after his injury scares over the last two years.
He’s become that intermediate target now, but also threatens to waltz his way to a 1,000-yard season from the slot. Very impressive.
All of this, however, is accounted for by a divisional rival – so the touchdowns will likely have to come from an alternative source.
Otton’s targets have gotten better and better as the weeks have gone by, snaring 14 of his 21 targets. And while Baker and the run game pose a threat to take to steal scores, the interior of this Atlanta D line is the strength, so I suspect Baker will be passing when in limited space rather than handing it off.
Bucky Irving – Over 44.5 Rushing Yards
The time of Rachaad is over. The time of the Buck has come.
For those of you who didn’t read that as a Lord of the Rings reference, I pity you. But it’s become clear that not only is Bucky Irving far more talented than Rachaad White, he’s also more efficient.
Tampa Bay will look to run at the perimeter of in this game because Atlanta lack edge-setting defenders. White running outside the tackles looks like me having a swim after a kebab. Irving will lead them in carries.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons Bet Builder
Moneyline: Buccaneers
Total Points: Over 43.5
Cade Otton to Score a Touchdown
Bucky Irving – Over 44.5 Rushing Yards
A Multi Match Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 18/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All odds and lines quoted are accurate at time of publication but are subject to change
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