Last Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons snapped a two-game losing streak with a 21-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Believe it or not, at just 5-6 SU, Atlanta is still in the thick of the NFC Wildcard Playoff race. However, the Falcons will have a tough challenge in week 13, as they look to climb back to the .500 mark when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Buccaneers handed Atlanta a 48-25 whipping back in Week 2 and will be 11 point favorites as they seek their 4th straight victory over their NFC South rival.
Despite Atlanta’s victory last week, the Falcons still have serious issues on the offensive side of the ball, which will be worrisome against a really stout defensive front in Tampa Bay. Before the victory over the Jaguars, the Falcons were held to just 3 points combined in their blowout losses to Dallas (43-3) and New England (25-0). Simply put, the Falcons have not found much consistency on the offensive side of the football, and they lack talent overall. Rookie TE Kyle Pitts is arguably the most talented skill position player on the roster, and utility (RB/WR) veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has become the Falcons biggest weapon out of the backfield due primarily to a lack of options. Patterson has put together some breakout performances, but the Falcons need to find additional firepower to hang with Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons Betting Trends
- The Bucs are 1-5 ATS in the last six games on the road
- The Bucs are 16-3 SU in the last 19 games
- The Bucs have hit the “under” in four of the last six games
- The Bucs are 4-2 ATS in the last six games against the Falcons
- The Falcons are 1-6 SU in the last seven games at home
- The Falcons have hit the “under” in four of the last five games
- The Falcons have hit the “over” in each of the last seven games against Tampa Bay
- Get more details: Tampa Bay at Atlanta Week 13 Betting Stats
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons Betting Analysis
While the Falcons search for answers on the offensive side of the football, it is worth noting that the Atlanta defense has hardly impressed this season. The Falcons defense did a good job last week against a dismal Jacksonville offense, but I would not expect that to be a trend going forward, especially against a Buccaneers offense that is loaded with dangerous weapons. For the first time in weeks, Tampa Bay’s offense appears to be fully healthy. With the exception of WR Antonio Brown, who remains sidelined, TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Chris Godwin, and OG Ali Marpet have returned from injuries in recent weeks. QB Tom Brady is having an excellent season, yet again, despite a few mediocre weeks statistically. In last week’s hard-fought victory against Indianapolis, the Buccaneers got a big lift from running back Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 100 yards and accounted for four touchdowns to beat one of the AFC’s hottest teams.
San Francisco at Seattle Prediction ATS
The addition of the running attack would be a huge benefit for the Buccaneers offense down the stretch if they can continue to get that type of production from Fournette. Either way, the Buccaneers match-up against Atlanta is not overly daunting whether Fournette replicates his week 12 success or not. Atlanta’s defense has not been good towards stopping the run, and they will have a big match-up disadvantage in the passing game against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tyler Johnson, and Rob Gronkowski. This appears to be one of those favorable match-ups where Brady will be able to pick his poison and keep the pressure on this Atlanta defense. The Falcons do not have the firepower to keep pace in this game, and I believe the Buccaneers defense has a big match-up advantage as well. From a match-up perspective, I like the Buccaneers in every way this week!
