Week 5 of the NFL season kicks off with a pivotal game in the NFC South on Thursday night.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to take on their rival, the Atlanta Falcons, in a key game for the division standings. Both teams have been playing well this season, and this should be an excellent game.
When these two rivals take the field, who will be the winning NFL pick at the top-rated sportsbooks?
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NFL Pick
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ML (+120) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Thursday, October 03, 2024 – 08:15 PM ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved to 3-1 with a convincing win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Baker Mayfield continued to excel by passing for 347 yards in the win. The Bucs defense looked strong and sacked the Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts six times in the victory.
After a disappointing performance in Week 3 against the Broncos, the Buccaneers definitely got back on track with the win over Philadelphia. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 24-0 lead and never looked back.
The Buccaneers have been relying on the passing game. Currently, they are 7th in the league in passing, averaging 246 passing yards per game. Yet, they are only 24th in the league in rushing, averaging 96 rushing yards per game. However, this has been a recipe for success this season. Tampa Bay is 9th in the league in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have come into the season with high hopes after adding a new quarterback and coaching staff to their team. So far, the results have been mediocre with the Falcons coming in at a record of 2-2. However, they are coming off an important win over their division rival, the New Orleans Saints, that they will try to build upon in another division game.
The Falcons have kicker Younghoe Koo to thank for their win after he kicked a career-best 58-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win for the Falcons on Sunday. This crucial kick gave the Falcons their first home win of the year after losing their first two games at home this season. A loss could have been disastrous for the Falcons and they will be looking to build on that win on Thursday night.
Although the Falcons look to be improved on the offensive end, they have yet to show that they are the high-powered offense that many expected in the offseason. They are currently ranked 21st in points, 20th in rushing yards and 18th in passing yards. For the Falcons to have a chance to win their division, they’re going to need to improve in those areas and this Thursday night game gives them an excellent opportunity to do so against the team ahead of them in the NFC South standings.
Tampa Bay has beaten Atlanta in six of their last eight matchups. However, the Falcons look much different than they did in those previous games, and will have a better chance to score against the Buccaneers in this game.
Falcons Passing Game vs Buccaneers Secondary
The Atlanta Falcons paid a lot of money to bring in quarterback Kirk Cousins, and he’s going to have to be better than average if the Falcons want to be a winning program. He has an opportunity to make a statement against a Buccaneers secondary that has been ravaged by injuries this season.
The Buccaneers have a stout defensive line and will be very tough to run the ball against. Cousins is going to have to earn his money and the Falcons will need to move the ball through the air if they’re able to win this game.
The Falcons have plenty of weapons to move the ball down the field, especially at home on their speedy artificial turf. The Falcons will need a big showing through the air if they’re going to get the win. Cousins will need to get WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts involved early and often if they want to move into a tie for first place in the division.
The Pick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will continue their recent dominance against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons have not yet fully gelled under their new regime, while the Buccaneers are an engine running on all cylinders. The Buccaneers have a better idea of what they want to do, and which players are going to get it done. The Buccaneers will continue to rise to the top in the NFC South with a prime-time victory over their division rival.
Take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ML (+120) at Bet365
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