The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can take complete control of the NFC South on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have been undervalued all season. Can Seattle earn an upset against the Bucs in Munich, Germany?
Let’s see what the NFL odds tell us at the top sportsbooks!
Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, November 13, 2022 – 9:30 AM EST at Allianz Arena
The Seattle Seahawks will take their 6-3 record to Munich, Germany, in a matchup against the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But despite both records, the Buccaneers are still 2.5-point favorites in this game.
The Seahawks have been underappreciated all year. Yet, they continue to find ways to win football games behind elite quarterback play and an excellent running game.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers only average 18 points per game with Tom Brady under center. That’s quite astonishing, especially with the number of playmakers on the team in the first place.
Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers be on upset watch? Our answer is below.
Why is Tampa Bay the Favorite?
The Buccaneers can take complete control of the NFC South with a win. But they’d still be just 5-5 with a win.
On the other hand, the Seahawks are already in control of the NFC West by multiple games.
Tampa Bay has scored just 18 points and allowed 18.2 points. The offense has only earned 67 yards on the ground but has gained 283 in the air per game. Tom Brady has thrown ten touchdowns and one interception this year. The run game has been so ineffective for the Buccaneers, and the offensive line has struggled to block in those situations.
Leonard Fournette is starting to lose time to Rachaad White, a rookie out of Arizona State. The Buccaneers are hoping he’ll be able to boost the running game that has lacked all season long.
The Bucs Defense
On defense, the Bucs have looked average. The secondary is the best portion of the defense, but they’ve had trouble stopping the run game. They’ve allowed just 208.4 yards per game in the air but over 125 yards on the ground.
The pass rush also isn’t always very effective, which shows just how good the coverage unit for the Bucs has been.
Why Seattle Can Pull off Upset
The Seahawks have scored 26.8 points behind Geno Smith, who has thrown for 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the year. Smith’s numbers would be in the MVP conversation if his name weren’t Geno Smith.
Kenneth Walker III has looked good in his rookie season. He’s already rushed for 570 yards on 111 carries for seven touchdowns. The offense has gained over 375 yards per game, with over 130 yards coming on the ground.
Walker should have success against a weak run defense like the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf should still be able to have success against Tampa Bay’s secondary. It’ll be a good matchup, but those receivers will make some plays, especially if the run game gets going.
The Seahawks Defense
On the other hand, the defense has struggled in the tackling department. The coverage, pass rush, and run defense have been average. The offense must play well to win this game against the Bucs.
But overall, the Seahawks’ offense has been terrific, and the defense has at least been consistently average in most areas this season.
Game Prediction & Betting Pick
The entire crowd in Munich will be rooting for Tom Brady. He’ll likely have a home-field advantage whenever he’s playing at a neutral field.
However, the rest of the team has failed Brady this season. The run game is nonexistent, and the offensive line is one of the worst offensive lines that Brady has played with in his career. That doesn’t help, knowing he’s only getting older and less mobile.
On the other hand, Smith’s teammates are raving about him in Seattle. The Seahawks were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this year, but now they’re looking way better with Smith under center than Russell Wilson.
The Seahawks have the better offense and, other than tackling, have been consistently average this year. Meanwhile, the Bucs have struggled against the run defensively and don’t have a good enough pass rush to force Geno Smith into making mistakes. Smith has limited his turnovers all year, and if he can do that again in this game, the Seahawks should be able to earn the upset win.
NFL Pick: Seahawks ML (+130) at Bet365
