Tag: Bucs

Streaking Buccaneers open as favorites on the road against the Lions in Week 15

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are riding a three-game winning-streak heading into Week 15’s matchup with the Detroit Lions.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a roll, riding a three-game winning-streak following Sunday’s 38-35 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bucs are now 6-7, winners of four of their last five games, and look like that one team you don’t want to face in December. Tampa Bay has found their second wind after their brutal five-game stretch away from home earlier in the season, which saw them go just 1-4.

They’ll take to the road again in Week 15, traveling to Detroit this time to take on the lowly Lions (which sounds redundant), who have lost six-straight games and are playing an undrafted rookie quarterback in David Blough.

So, it should come as no real surprise that the Bucs are favored on the road to tame the Lions. But, what might be surprising is the current line. Tampa Bay is only favored by -3.5 right now, which seems a bit low considering how hot the Bucs have been and how bad Detroit has looked.

Betting on the Buccaneers has been a big issue this year for people, and this line might scare some people away. As for the over/under, it’s currently set at 47.5. I imagine sportsbooks are counting on Tampa Bay to put up the majority of points given their offensive firepower (even without Mike Evans who suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s win).

[Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.]

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Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 14 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Indianapolis Colts (6-6) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) tussle at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. We analyze the Colts-Buccaneers sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 14 matchup.

Colts at Buccaneers: Week 14 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • When these teams meet, you should recall a Monday night battle in 2003 when Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison erupted for a giant comeback from 35-14 down with about seven minutes remaining.
  • The Colts head into this one with a 6-2-1 ATS mark across the past nine road games.
  • The Buccaneers enter 2-6 ATS across the past eight games overall, and they’re 0-5 ATS in the previous five contests at home.
  • The under is 5-2 across Indy’s past seven on the road, while going 21-5 in the next 26 games following a double-digit loss at home.
  • The Over has cashed in nine of the past 10 for the Bucs, while going 4-0 in the previous four at the RayJay.
  • Indy ranks fourth in rushing yards (139.0 YPG), and they’re ninth in the NFL against the run (101.8 YPG).
  • Tampa ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards (380.4 YPG), fourth in passing yards (284.2 YPG) and fourth in points scored (28.3 PPG).
  • The Bucs are second in the NFL against the run (76.3 YPG), but they’re 31st against the pass (281.8 YPG) and 30th in points allowed (28.8 PPG).

Colts at Buccaneers: Key injuries

Colts: CB Kenny Moore II (ankle), WR T.Y. Hilton (calf) and PK Adam Vinatieri (knee) are listed as out. RB Marlon Mack (hand) is likely to make his return, while WR Parris Campbell (hand) might also play.

Buccaneers: LB Jason Pierre-Paul (knee) and DB M.J. Stewart (knee) are questionable.

Colts at Buccaneers: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 7:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Buccaneers 31, Colts 23

Moneyline (?)

The Buccaneers (-176) are a moderate favorite, but you’re better off playing the spread. If you like the Colts (+145), they’re a much better value on the ML.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bucs moneyline returns a $5.68 profit with a Tampa victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BUCCANEERS (-3.5, +100) are laying three and the hook, and that’s always a worry for bettors. However, the way the Colts (+3.5, -121) looked last week with the Tennessee Titans marching the ball up and down the field, the Bucs look like a safe play at home.

Over/Under (?)

OVER 47.5 (-106) is a good play based upon Tampa’s struggles against the pass, and the solid passing on both sides. The Bucs held the Jacksonville Jaguars down last week, but posted plenty on offense. They won’t hold the Colts in check, as Indy is much more gifted, and they might get a big bump with Mack returning to the backfield, too.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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5 Buccaneers the Colts must game plan for in Week 14

Colts must game plan for these Bucs in Week 14.

The Colts, currently at 6-6 on the year, are not completely out of the playoff picture after losing four of their last five games. On Sunday, Frank Reich’s squad will travel to Tampa Bay to face off against former Colts interim head coach, Bruce Arians and his Buccaneers currently sitting at 5-7.

While this Bucs roster is full of talent at every position, they have struggled to find a consistent rhythm on both sides of the ball and have lost a lot of games late. Either way this team is not to be underestimated.

Here are five Buccaneers the Colts must gameplan for in order to get their season back on track and keep their postseason hopes alive:

(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

WR Mike Evans

This is the obvious one. At 6’5″ and weighing 230 pounds, Evans is one of the hardest receivers in the league to cover. His 1,096 receiving yards are currently the third-best in the NFL and his seven touchdowns are currently tied for the fifth-most among receivers.

Stopping Evans will be imperative for the Colts secondary if they want to win this game. Evans is targeted heavily on third down and in the red zone, so it will be important for Matt Eberflus to order double coverage on Evans a majority of snaps.

Look for Pierre Desir and Malik Hooker to provide the coverage on Evans and try to get physical with him at the line of scrimmage.

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Devin White cracks the top 10 in NFL.com’s rookie rankings

See where Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White lands on NFL.com’s latest rookie rankings.

The good news just keeps on rolling in for Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, who had his most dominant performance to date in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

White, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had an interception on Jacksonville’s opening drive and then scooped up a fumble and took it to the house on the next Jags possession, helping Tampa Bay take a commanding 15-0 lead, which they’d never surrender.

White was viewed by many as a favorite to take home the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Player of the Year Award before the season started, but a sprained knee suffered in Week 2’s win over the Carolina Panther sidelined him for several weeks and saw his odds of winning drop.

Well, people might want to start thinking about White as a viable candidate again based on how he’s looked the past two weeks. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has certainly taken notice, and moved White to No. 8 on his list of rookie rankings.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about the former LSU star.

“White has really come alive the past few weeks. He collected 2 sacks against Atlanta in Week 12 and followed that up with an interception against the Jaguars in Week 13.”

White and the Buccaneers we look to make it three-straight wins on Sunday when they welcome the Indianapolis Colts to town. At 5-7, the Bucs have a shot at avoiding their third-straight 5-11 season with a win.

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Ndamukong Suh says there’s no holding back this Bucs team

See what Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had to say on Instagram about this team, which has won two-straight.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a roll, something fans having been waiting all season to see.

After that brutal five-game road stretch that saw the Bucs go just 1-4, Tampa Bay has gone 3-1 since, including two-straight wins on the road. On Sunday, they took down the in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars, thanks to a dominant performance by rookie linebacker Devin White and the Bucs defense.

With the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts coming to town in Week 14, the Bucs will look to keep the momentum going and take advantage of an Indy team that’s been decimated by injuries and seen their playoff hopes slip away.

The Bucs know they are hitting their stride, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh took to Instagram the other day to say as much.

Take a look.

Suh and the Buccaneers’ rush defense ranks second in the league, allowing just 76.3 yards per game. They’ll be tested in Week 14 as the Colts offense ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing, averaging 139.0 yards per game.

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Bruce Arians on benching Ronald Jones: ‘You can’t run the football if you can’t protect the quarterback’

See why head coach Bruce Arians made the decision to bench starting running back Ronald Jones in the second half against the Jaguars.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned an impressive 28-11 win Sunday on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving them their first winning streak of the season.

The story of the day, of course, was the play of rookie linebacker Devin White, who helped the team jump out to an early 15-0 lead in the first quarter. But, one story that shouldn’t be overlooked is the second-half benching of running back Ronald Jones.

Jones, the second-year back out of USC who just last month earned the starting gig, was sent to the bench in the third quarter after failing to pick up a blitz, which resulted in a Jameis Winston sack and fumble.

Jones finished the day with just six carries for 8 yards. But, for those worried that Jones will be riding the bench going forward, head coach Bruce Arians talked about the young back’s strong work ethic, while also pointing out that if he wants to play, he’s got to protect the quarterback.

“[Jones] works his ass off. He’s gonna get better at it. We need him running the football. But you can’t run the football if you can’t protect the quarterback.”

Protection for Winston has been a problem all season long for the Buccaneers. Jones is still young, so hopefully he can use yesterday as a learning experience. If he works as hard as his coach says, I doubt anyone is more frustrated about what happened than Jones.

Tampa Bay returns home in Week 14 to face the Indianapolis Colts. With a win, the Bucs would not only make it three-straight victories, but they’d earn their sixth win of the season, surpassing their win totals from 2017 and 2018, when they finished 5-11 both times.

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Buccaneers move up one spot in latest USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ big win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12 moved them up one spot in the latest USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off the upset in Week 12 by taking down the Atlanta Falcons on the road.

The Falcons were coming off two-straight wins against division foes — the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, respectively — and had outscored their opponents 55-12 in those wins.

But, the Buccaneers managed to find a way to carve up a revamped Falcons defense, and one of the ways they did that was with a bit of trickery. Nose tackle and human behemoth Vita Vea caught his first career touchdown pass from Jameis Winston in the 35-22 win, and as the Buccaneers moved up one spot this week in the latest USA TODAY Power Rankings, the question was asked, why hasn’t Vea been utilized more on offense?

 “The real question, given Bucs’ 20th-ranked ground game, is why hasn’t high school RB Vita Vea been in backfield far more often in 2019?”

Vea and the Buccaneers take to the road again in Week 13, this time staying in-state to take on the 4-7 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are still looking for their first win with quarterback Nick Foles under center.

Surprisingly, the Jags, who were humiliated Sunday by the Tennessee Titans and fell to No. 25 in the power rankings, are favorites over the Bucs at home.

Some extra motivation for Tampa Bay, perhaps?

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Jameis Winston’s 20th interception puts him in a class with Jay Cutler

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston now shares this “honor” with former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston certainly has his defenders still, even after last week’s four-interception game against the New Orleans Saints.

It might be hard for those defenders to stand by him after watching him today against the Atlanta Falcons, though. Despite a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Godwin, Winston threw two interceptions in the first quarter, with the second one eventually leading to a Falcons touchdown.

The two picks give Winston 20 on the season, a new career high. And, those 20 picks in 11 games puts him in a class with former NFL quarterback, and interception aficionado, Jay Cutler.

Take a look.

Winston is the first Buccaneers quarterback since Josh Freeman in 2011 to have 20 or more interceptions on the year. Freeman had 22 in 15 games for the Bucs that year, so Winston could easily break that mark before the year is over — or even today’s game against Atlanta.

It’s time to stop defending Winston. The Buccaneers, and more importantly their fans, deserve a whole lot better.

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A look at O.J. Howard’s route trees in Bruce Arians’ offense vs. Dirk Koetter’s

Take a look at the route trees of Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard in his last two offensive systems.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has had a rough go of things this season, his first year playing under head coach Bruce Arians.

Howard, who was put on blast by Arians earlier this year for his poor play, caused an interception in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, juggling the ball against his body and behind his back before it was eventually picked off. For the season, the third-year tight end out of Alabama has just 17 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown.

So, what’s been the issue?

Well, looking at Howard’s route trees in Arians’ offense compared to former coach and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s, it’s clear the two systems are utilizing the tight end very differently.

Take a look.

Arians had this to say about the tight ends of the Arizona Cardinals back in 2015, when he was the team’s head coach: “We pay Larry (Fitzgerald) and those guys too much money to throw it to the tight ends. They’re here to block.”

You would’ve hoped that Arians and Byron Leftwich would’ve seen the potential in Howard and utilized him more in the offense as a pass catcher.

It’ll be interesting to see how the team proceeds with Howard at the end of the season. Remember, the New England Patriots inquired about Howard last month before the trade deadline, but were told no by Tampa Bay.

Maybe they’ll change their tune in the offseason.

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Twitter reacts to Bucs’ brutal loss to Saints

The Bucs were searching for a much-needed victory against the Saints in Sunday’s crucial NFC matchup.

The Bucs were searching for a much-needed victory against the Saints in Sunday’s crucial NFC matchup, but instead, Jameis Winston and company, unfortunately, walked out of Raymond James Stadium with a gut-wrenching 37-17 loss.

Tampa Bay’s first touchdown of the day came from Peyton Barber on a 6-yard touchdown. Jameis Winston’s 48-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Scotty Miller set the Bucs up with first-and-goal from the one-yard line with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter and Barber was able to put the Buccaneers on the board.

Rookie kicker Matt Gray then added three points to the scoreboard after nailing a 55-yard field goal, making the score 20-10 after the Saints got off to a solid start.

In an effort to stay alive and turn things around, Chris Godwin tried to keep the Bucs’ hopes alive by hauling in their second touchdown of the day and his seventh receiving touchdown of the season, adding another 7 for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, however, numerous turnovers, multiple mistakes, and some miscommunication, unfortunately, cost Tampa Bay the game. With the loss, the Bucs are sitting at 3-7 this season while the Saints now improve to 8-2.

Here’s a closer look at what Twitter is saying following their loss: