Despite riding a four-game winning-streak, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are underdogs at home to the Texans in Week 16.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have pulled their record back to .500 thanks to a 38-17 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
In that game, quarterback Jameis Winston made history by becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 450-plus yards in back-to-back games. Winston finished yesterday’s game with a career-high 458 yards, one week after throwing for 456 against the Colts.
The Bucs were already playing yesterday without their top receiver in Mike Evans before they lost Chris Godwin to a hamstring injury, one that could sideline him for the rest of the season.
That right there could be why the Buccaneers opened as +1.5 point underdogs at home in Week 16 to the Houston Texans. I get that the Texans are the team with more on the line given their race to the postseason, but the Bucs have won four-straight games and are as hot as any team in the league right now. This game would be a huge statement win for Tampa Bay. I think a Bucs upset over the Texans is more than likely.
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Notable injuries: Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin (hamstring) will not return https://t.co/JtocnblgwR pic.twitter.com/TwtiKCCbnU – Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) December 15, 2019 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans last …
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans last week after he suffered a hamstring injury on a 61-yard touchdown. Evans has been ruled out for the remainder of the season because of the injury, which meant Chris Godwin would need to fill his shoes as the team’s No. 1 receiver.
But, Godwin suffered a hamstring injury of his own during today’s tilt against the Detroit Lions, and has been ruled out for the rest of the game. Godwin finishes the day with five receptions for 121 yards.
We don’t know yet if Godwin’s injury will keep him out for the last few weeks of the regular season, but, if he does return, he still has a shot at breaking the franchise’s single-season receiving mark.
Marvin Jones Jr. went down for the remainder of the season. How does losing him impact QB David Blough?
It’s a big blow. Jones was tied for 2nd in the league in TD receptions and his ability to make tough catches down the field was a big part of the Lions’ attack. Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola are the only legit NFL wideouts left on the roster, so the Lions passing game is now much easier to defend.
The Buccaneers’ high-powered offense averages 29.1 points per game. What do the Lions need to do to slow them down?
Detroit’s defense is frustrating to watch. They are passive and uncreative, choosing to read and react to the offense instead of trying to dictate the action. Blitzes, stunts, zone blitzes, those types of things can disrupt the Buccaneers, but they’re just not something the Lions are comfortable doing. At minimum, the tackling needs to improve. Only two teams have missed more tackles all year than Detroit.
David Blough looked like a seasoned vet on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, that didn’t carry over to last week’s game. With the Buccaneers’ young secondary and a defense allowing 29.3 points per game, which Blough do we see on Sunday?
Blough is not scared and the moment isn’t too big for him, two very important attributes. The issue for him is he isn’t used to the speed of the NFL game yet. I expect Blough to have a few shining moments interspersed with bad throws and delayed decisions.
The Bucs’ run defense is best in the league allowing just 75.5 yards per game. With the Lions’ struggles to run the ball, do they continue to push the issue and attempt to run, or just air it out as much as possible?
I would air it out, but I’m not offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. We might see a 70/30 pass-to-run mix, but the Lions will not abandon the run. The ability to grind out time and avoid getting into a shootout with such a potent offense will keep the Lions from just throwing all the time…even if the run almost certainly won’t work.
Who wins and why?
The Buccaneers’ two best qualities — explosive passing offense and run-stuffing defense — directly counter what the Lions’ biggest weaknesses are. The talent level appears pretty even with all the injuries, but the Lions simply don’t have an answer for Chris Godwin even with Mike Evans out. Unless the Lions defense can create some takeaways and cash them into points, Detroit doesn’t have enough to take down the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay wins by 12.
See what franchise record Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin could nab before the season is over.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Detroit Sunday to take on the Lions without their best receiver. Pro Bowler Mike Evans, who earlier this season became the only other receiver besides Hall of Famer Randy Moss to start his career with six-straight 1,000-yard seasons, injured his hamstring in Week 14’s win over the Colts and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
It’s certainly a big loss, but fortunately, the Bucs have receiver Chris Godwin waiting in the wings to be the new No. 1 receiver. Godwin, the third-year receiver out of Penn State, has exploded onto the scene this season, already setting career highs across the board with receptions (81), yards (1,212) and touchdowns (9).
And, with just three games left to play, Godwin finds himself just 313 receiving yards shy of Mike Evans’ single-season record of 1,524 yards, set just last year. That means, Godwin needs to average just over 104.3 yards per game over the last three weeks.
While the Bucs may not be making a trip to the postseason this year, several players have a shot at making history, including Godwin.
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 15 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 15 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
QUARTERBACKS
RYAN TANNEHILL- $6500 DRAFTKINGS, $7600 FANDUEL
Ryan Tannehill is on an impressive 7 game run after taking over for Marcus Mariota. I would have never thought at the beginning of the season I would be writing Tannehill’s name in a DFS writeup but here we are. Not only has he forced the franchise quarterback to the bench but Tannehill is averaging 19 points per game this season. Now he gets a dream matchup at home versus the Texans who rank 30th against quarterbacks. I love Tannehill for a low owned value play on both sites in Week 15.
JIMMY GAROPPOLO- $6100 DRAFTKINGS, $8400 FANDUEL
Coming off monster game versus a good New Orleans Saints defense on the road Garoppolo gets a cupcake matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons. This 49er team are true super bowl contenders and their leader is averaging 18 fantasy points per game this season and has massive upside in this matchup. The Falcons rank 24th against opposing quarterbacks and if this game stays close I like Jimmy to hit value on both sites.
RUNNING BACKS
DERRICK HENRY- $8500 DRAFTKINGS, $9400 FANDUEL
Is Derrick Henry the most improved player in the NFL this season? The man is a consistent workhorse with high upside who has been posting McCaffrey type numbers the last 5 weeks. Henry is averaging 20 fantasy points per game and gets a nice matchup at home against the Texans who rank 27th against opposing running backs. Keep an eye on his injury tag going into the week and if you see any news of limiting touches or a worsening injury I would advise pivoting to Dalvin Cook who also has a nice matchup versus the Chargers.
CHRIS CARSON- $7500 DRAFTKINGS, $7400 FANDUEL
Chris Carson is in for a big workload if he can hold on to the ball in Week 15. With Rashaad Penny out for the season, Carson should be on the field in what is a must-win game for the Seahawks. Even with all the ups and downs of the season, Carson is still averaging 16 fantasy points per game. He should have a nice floor and ceiling this week versus the Panthers and their league worse run defense. Carson should be a lock on both FanDuel and DraftKings in both your cash games and tournaments.
WIDE RECEIVERS
CHRIS GODWIN- $7700 DRAFTKINGS, $8400 FANDUEL
The trend this week is to target players whose workload has increased due to injuries around them. Chris Godwin is in line for more targets and receptions with Mike Evans out for this week and possibly the rest of the season. We had issues deciding between the two receivers every week but now the decision is clear. Let’s lock up Godwin who is averaging 21 points per game against the Lions who rank 25th against opposing wide receivers.
KENNY GOLLADAY- $7200 DRAFTKINGS, $7900 FANDUEL
Let’s stay in Detroit in what looks to be a shootout game versus the Buccaneers. I love to target dome games during the winter months so I don’t have to worry about snow, wind, and harsh elements. Combine that with the fact Golladay is averaging 17 points per game and facing a Buccaneers team who rank 32nd against opposing wide receivers, and we got ourselves a winner. Golladay has surpassed 1000 yards receiving this year and has 5 games of 100+ yards so the upside and consistency are there for another solid week ahead.
TIGHT ENDS
GEORGE KITTLE- $6200 DRAFTKINGS, $7200 FANDUEL
Kittle is coming off a big game and some late-game heroics in the win versus the New Orleans Saints. Kittle is Jimmy G’s favorite target and a safe play at tight end in Week 15. He is averaging 15 fantasy points per game and the Falcons rank 24th against opposing tight ends this season. I think the combination of Garoppolo and Kittle provide a nice cash floor for your cash lineups.
ZACH ERTZ– $6000 DRAFTKINGS, $6700 FANDUEL
With all the injuries the Eagles have on offense Ertz is the safe way to attack this Redskins defense. Ertz is getting the majority of targets in the passing game and is the first option whenever they get in the red zone. He has the upside to double the points of any tight end of the slate and is averaging 15 points per game. He comes in as my number 1 overall play at tight end in Week 15.
DEFENSES
PATRIOTS- $4000 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL
Coming off a back to back losses the Patriots have to show up versus the Bengals in Week 15. This is a get right spot for the Patriots and let’s not forget their defense is averaging 15 fantasy points per game this season. The Bengals offense has struggled all year and I expect that to continue when the Patriots come into town.
CHIEFS- $3500 DRAFTKINGS, $3900 FANDUEL
This Chiefs defense has quietly gotten better as the season has progressed. They have been solid in their last 3 games and are averaging 8 fantasy points per game on the season. I have not yet bought in on Lock and I think he faces a tough task going on the road to Arrowhead stadium. I think the Chiefs bring pressure and cause some turnovers and hopefully push into double digits this week.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.
Despite losing four out of their last five games, the Indianapolis Colts remain optimistic about their playoff chances as they return to the road for a Sunday matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers While both teams are only one win apart in the standings, their play has gone in different directions.
As the Colts lost all of their momentum from the first half of this season, the NFC South competitor has only gotten better in recent weeks. Following a string of tough, last-minute losses in October, the Buccaneers have won three out of their last four games and are attempting to grab the NFC’s final Wild Card spot.
Here are three, key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 14 bout:
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin vs. Colts’ secondary
If there’s any duo of wide receivers who are the best together, it’s quite easily Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The dynamic duo has carried the Buccaneers’ offense this entire season at the tune of 1,100 receiving yards apiece, 140 combined catches and 16 total touchdowns.
Besides their great numbers, Evans and Godwin scare opposing secondaries because of their evolving skill-sets and legitimate size. Although Evans is bigger at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, Godwin is still fairly big himself (6-foot-1 and 209 pounds), thus allowing them to box out and outjump their defensive counterparts.
Entering Sunday’s game, the Colts already had an unproven secondary dealing with some injuries and they will be missing their most valuable slot corner/blitzer Kenny Moore II due to injuries. It’s going to be interesting to discover who, when, and how they’ll defend Evans/Godwin, as their current depth chart includes Pierre Desir, Marvell Tell, and Quincy Wilson—if made available to play.
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.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be returning home to take on the Tampa Bay Bucs after spending a month away from TIAA Bank Field. They’ll be looking to end a three-game skid against a group that has some momentum after the Bucs took it to the Atlanta …
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be returning home to take on the Tampa Bay Bucs after spending a month away from TIAA Bank Field. They’ll be looking to end a three-game skid against a group that has some momentum after the Bucs took it to the Atlanta Falcons Week 12.
Here are our predictions for Week 13 as fans will get to witness an in-state rivalry in North Florida:
Call it a gut feeling, but I believe both teams will score a lot of points. The Jags’ defense isn’t elite anymore and hasn’t been for a while. They also could be without starters Myles Jack and Tre Herndon against a very good Bucs passing unit to make matters worse. However, the Bucs’ defense is even worse (at least against the pass) making for the perfect situation for Nick Foles to find his groove. I believe the Jags will make one more key play than their in-state rivals a notch a win here.
Three straight division losses have seemingly sent the locker room and fanbase into an all-out frenzy. The Jaguars are a better team than the Bucs, they should win this game handily, however, they’ll find a way to make it much closer than it needs to be. As I mentioned last week, it’s in the team’s best interest to lose out, but they’ll trip into a win in front of an empty TIAA Bank Stadium with fans growing tired of the poor choices by the organization.
This game is literally the definition of a pick-em game. Both teams have fallen short of their expectations for the season. Both teams are also suffering from inconsistent quarterback play and that will likely be the theme of the day and the reason why the Jags win. Jameis Winston will throw a costly pick that leads to a field goal that seals it.
Confidence in the Jaguars has hit an all-time low. The team has lost three straight games by 20 or more points and have shown no signs of turning it around. Both sides of the balk are struggling, but with the turnover prone Tampa Bay Bucs coming to town, the team may be able to show signs of life. I think the Jags come away disappointed, but will manage to keep it close.
The Jags will have their hands completely full with a potential makeshift group in the front seven, who will have to guard both Buccaneers receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Jaguars will need to force Jameis Winston into a couple of turnovers to keep this game even. I predict that Nick Foles will struggle, which could lead to him getting benched in favor of Gardner Minshew II in this game.
Our weekly NFL underdog betting staple continues into Week 13 where Ken Pomponio features three teams likely to upset their underdog odds
We’re past Thanksgiving, so the real NFL season is underway.
At least that’s how the saying goes.
In this space, we’re bringing a 21-15 overall record into the closing stretch after going 2-1 last week. I was on pair of underdogs who covered in straight-up losses (Colts +3.5 against the Texans and Cowboys +6.5 vs. the Patriots) and another (Packers +3.5 at the 49ers) that most definitely did not.
Now, with the trio of Turkey Day games already in the Week 13 books, we’ll have to come up with three underdogs from the rest the card, utilizing, as usual, Wednesday’s posted point spreads from BetMGM.com. Here goes …
Tennessee Titans (+2.5) at Indianapolis Colts
(Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel – USA TODAY Sports)
These two AFC South foes met back in Week 2, and the visiting Colts came away with a 19-17 road victory for their 19th win in the last 23 meetings with the Titans since the start of the 2008 season.
But it’s been the Titans who have since undergone the greatest transformation, winning four of five games since Ryan Tannehill replaced the scuffling Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback in Week 7. Tannehill has been much more than just a fill-in, throwing for 10 TDs and rushing for three more while throwing only four interceptions.
Indy, meanwhile, is trending in the opposite direction, having dropped three of four since Week 9 with QB Jacoby Brissett missing two of those losses with a knee injury.
Brissett has been back for the last two games, but two of his top weapons will missing Sunday as tight end Eric Ebron has been placed on injured reserve list and No. 1 wideout T.Y. Hilton is sidelined after suffering a setback with his nagging calf injury in practice this week.
That’s more than enough to tilt the balance in favor of the red-hot Tannehill and the Titans if you weren’t leaning in that direction already.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
(Photo Credit: Jason Getz – USA TODAY Sports)
This matchup of 4-7 Florida foes also is a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions of late as the Bucs have won two of their last three while the Jags have dropped three straight, losing by at least 20 each time.
Tampa quietly owns the league’s No. 3 scoring offense at 28.4 points per game, and only the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, with 3,788 in 12 games, has thrown for yards than the Bucs’ Jameis Winston (3,391 in 11). Winston also ranks fourth with 22 TD passes but, of course, the problem is interceptions as Winston has tossed 20 — six more than any other QB in the league.
Meanwhile, QB Nick Foles is back at the helm in J’ville, but he’s guided the Jags to only 33 points in his last two starts.
Foles has a capable sidekick in running back Leonard Fournette, but (again) the Bucs quietly own the league’s No. 2 defense against the run. Jacksonville doesn’t have cornerback Jalen Ramsey anymore to help deal with Tampa’s standout WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who have both already eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season and have combined for 16 scoring receptions.
Look for the Bucs to prevail in a shootout.
Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) at Seattle Seahawks
(Photo Credit: David Berding – USA TODAY Sports)
It’s another intriguing Monday night matchup as the NFC’s two current wild-card front-runners put their superb records on the line.
Both teams feature QBs (Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins) playing at elite levels, and well-rounded, top-10 offenses going against shakier-than-most-expect defenses, particularly against the pass, so there should be some back-and-forth action on the scoreboard.
Despite their 9-2 record, though, the Seahawks are stunningly 0-5 ATS against the midweek lines at home this season while the 8-3 Vikings have covered and won in three of their last four road contests.
Take the Purple and the points.
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DJ Chark could be up for another game with two touchdowns and 120-plus yards as the Bucs are struggling mightily against the pass.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to start the month of December on the right track this Sunday against their in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both teams will come into the game below .500, but most fans would agree they have the talent to make this game competitive and interesting.
Here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s game, which will take place at TIAA Bank Field:
Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
WR DJ Chark Jr. will have his second 150-plus yard day with two touchdowns
The Jags will be up against the No. 31 ranked passing defense (289.9 YPG average) Sunday, which sets DJ Chark Jr. and the passing game up to eat. He’s been Nick Foles’ favorite receiver since his return from collarbone surgery and that likely won’t change this year.
Despite the success of Foles’ and Chark’s connection, the young receiver had his second-lowest receiving yards total of the year last week against the Tennessee Titans (38). Typically when he doesn’t get going and/or Leonard Fournette struggles, the Jags normally don’t have a good day on offense. That said, they need to get to Chark early and often.
There will be times where he and the Jags’ other receivers are lining up against rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is learning the game. He currently has a grade of 58.5 on Pro Football Focus while Chark is one of the highest-graded Jags on the roster with a 80.7. Those numbers alone should warrant a lot of targets for Chark.
