Week 13 NFL Betting Lines: Tampa Bay At San Diego

The parity in the NFL this season means that there are a lot of team still very much alive in the playoff race heading into Week 13. This is particularly true in the NFC, where there is a little bit of a log jam starting to take place behind the top couple of teams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have wormed their way back into the playoff picture by reeling off 3-straight wins. Not only are they alive in the Wild Cars race, they are also now just a game back of the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Perhaps the biggest surprise in this story is the fact that the Bucs have been getting the job done on the road, where they are currently 4-1 on the season. They are going to have to put their road skills to the test once again this weekend when they head into San Diego to face a Chargers team that is currently struggling to stay afloat in what is a very strong AFC West division. The Chargers are coming into this one as a 3.5-point betting odds favorite.

In Depth Analysis On The Week 13 NFL Betting Lines: Buccaneers At Chargers

When: Sunday, December 4 at 4:05 PM EST Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego TV: FOX / NFL RedZone Radio: Sirius XM Radio NFL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There are some definite signs that this team is starting to put it all together in a very positive way. They have always been an offensive threat with Jameis Winston under center, but it has been the defense that has picked up the slack in their last 3 games. They have only given up 32 points in their last 3 games, and have done so against some of the better teams in the league, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks. They have been going about their business very quietly, but that may no longer be possible after their upset win over Seattle last week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 6-5 ATS on the season, but are a healthy 4-1 ATS on the road.

Why bet on the San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are sitting at 5-6 on the season, but they may well be the best sub .500 team in the league right now. When they do lose, it tends to be in close games, and it can be argued that they are a few bad breaks away from being 6-5 or even 7-4. They have been getting those breaks in the past few weeks, and have won 4 of their last 6. The Wild Card still seems like a bit of a longshot at the moment, but give how tight things are, they could haul themselves back into it with some wins over the next few weeks. The Chargers are 7-4 ATS, and 3-2 ATS at home.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This has the potential to be one of the best games on the schedule this week, mostly because it has some real playoff implications. I have doubted the Bucs in the past few weeks, but I am past that now. Like them to come away with the win here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23 San Diego Chargers 20