The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the New Orleans Saints yesterday, 34-17, in a game between two teams trending in completely opposite directions.
The Saints, who lost in Week 10 at home to the then-1-7 Falcons, needed a win to remain in the race with the San Francisco 49ers for the top spot in the NFC. At 8-2 now, New Orleans looks back on track heading down the stretch.
The Bucs, meanwhile, are once again left searching for answers after another tough loss. After a solid victory over the Arizona Cardinals last week, Tampa Bay couldn’t find any sort of rhythm against the Saints.
Now, the Bucs will head back out on the road in Week 12 to take on the Atlanta Falcons for the first time this season. Atlanta comes in having won two-straight games on the road against divisional opponents — first the Saints and then the Panthers.
The suddenly red-hot Falcons opened as -3.5 point favorites over the Bucs with the over/under at 53.5. As usual, I’m always more inclined to go with the over when it comes to Tampa Bay. Despite their 3-7 record, they can put points up in the blink of an eye.
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