In what promises to be an exciting Thursday night game between the Buccaneers and the Falcons, football bettors are in for some southern hospitality as Atlanta welcomes Tampa Bay in the Week 5 opener. The oddsmakers have set the home team as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 43 Over/Under.
The Buccaneers are coming off a dominant win over the Eagles in Week 4, while the Falcons narrowly defeated the Saints without scoring an offensive touchdown. Despite their victory, Atlanta’s new-look offense with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and Zac Robinson as coordinator has not lived up to offseason expectations, ranking in the bottom half in several key metrics.
On the other hand, the Buccaneers’ offense led by quarterback Baker Mayfield and coordinator Liam Coen has been impressive, ranking 8th in EPA per play and averaging over 24 points per game. However, questions remain about the validity of their success against weaker defensive teams, like Washington in Week 1 and the injury-depleted Eagles.
As the game approaches, the initial lean is towards Tampa Bay, but concerns about Thursday night games and the short turnaround time may lead to a cautious approach. The key will be the performance of the Buccaneers’ defense that has struggled against the run, allowing five yards per carry and ranking last in EPA allowed per handoff.
Ultimately, the early Over/Under lean is towards the Over at 43 (-110 at FanDuel), with the potential for both offenses to exploit weaknesses in the opposing defenses. Football fans are in for an intriguing matchup that could go down to the wire, setting the stage for an intense battle between these NFC South rivals.
