A great season one year in the NFL is absolutely no guarantee of a great one in the following season. Over the years, we have seen teams go from playing in the Super Bowl one year to missing out on the playoffs the next, such is the fine line between winning and losing in the NFL. With that in mind, it is perhaps no real surprise that entire divisions can look different from year to year, with the NFC South being the perfect example of that. Last season, 3 of the 4 teams from that division were in the playoffs, but this year, it will be the New Orleans Saints who will serve as the sole representative for the South. That certainly comes as a bit of a surprise, as many pundits believed that the Saints and the Falcons would be in the mix this season, but Atlanta have not held up their end of the bargain. They will close out a disappointing year on the road to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, going in as a 1-point favorite. The point total for this one is set at 51 ½.
Falcons vs Buccaneers NFL Week 17 Lines & Betting Analysis
Falcons. Buccaneers. Madden 19 simulation. https://t.co/qKTQxH0Mca
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 28, 2018
- When: Sunday, December 30 at 1 PM EST
- Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
- TV: FOX
- Radio: Atlanta / Tampa Bay
- Live Stream: NFL Live
- NFL Week 17 Odds: Falcons -1 (-110)
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 26°C/78°F
- Humidity: 73%
- Precipitation: 2%
- Wind: 5 mph S
- Cloud Cover: 54%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why bet on the Atlanta Falcons?
You have to give some credit to the Atlanta falcons for not simply rolling over and playing dead. While they have long since been eliminated from playoff contention, they are still going out and playing hard, with the end result being that they are coming into this game on a modest 2-game winning streak. Still, at just 6-9 on the season, this is a team that is underachieving quite dramatically.
Part of their problem has been their play on the road, where they are just 2-5 SU, although they are coming off a good road win last week in Carolina. The Falcons have covered the spread in each of their last 2 games, but they are still just 4-6 ATS in their last 10. As the road favorite this season, Atlanta are 1-1 ATS.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 25.33
- Total Yards: 382.40
- Pass Yards: 284.80
- Rush Yards: 97.60
- Average Score Against: 26.07
- Total Yards: 381.40
- Pass Yards: 254.13
- Rush Yards: 127.27
Why bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the season with an outstanding win over the New Orleans Saints, but it has been all downhill since then. They have had problems settling on a starting QB this season, going back and forth between Winston and Fitzpatrick and basically failing to find any level of consistency in the process. This now looks like a team just waiting for the season to come to a close, as they have looked very poor in the process of losing 3 straight games.
The Buccaneers have consistently been in as the underdog this season, going 5-4-2 ATS in those games, which includes a 2-1 ATS record as the home underdog. Each of the last 5 games for the Buccaneers has gone UNDER, while the Falcons have seen the OVER hit in 2 of their last 3.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 24.27
- Total Yards: 414.46
- Pass Yards: 318.93
- Rush Yards: 95.53
- Average Score Against: 28.67
- Total Yards: 376.26
- Pass Yards: 251.33
- Rush Yards: 124.93
Falcons vs Buccaneers NFL Week 17 Betting Trends
- Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in the last 7 games
- Atlanta is 2-5 SU in the last 7 games
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
- Tampa Bay is 4-7-2 ATS in the last 13 games
- Tampa Bay is 2-7 SU in the last 9 games
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Falcons vs Buccaneers
The Bucs are going out of the season with a bit of a whimper, while the Falcons look to be trying to close things out on a positive note. I like Atlanta to win and cover here, with the point total going UNDER.
Score: Atlanta Falcons 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
