Bucs at Bills Preview

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Developing Stories 📰

Week 8 kicks off with Thursday Night Football, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3, 3-3 ATS) make their way north to face the Buffalo Bills (4-3, 3-4 ATS). Tampa recently suffered back-to-back losses at home, the most recent being a 16-13 defeat to Atlanta, despite being favored by 3 points. Meanwhile, Buffalo also stumbled against their divisional rival, the New England Patriots, falling 29-25 as 7.5-point favorites. Both teams have their sights set on the playoffs, yet they're coming off disappointing losses.

Notably, Tampa Bay has lost three of its last four games, with all three defeats occurring on their home turf. Oddly, the Buccaneers are undefeated when playing away from home, claiming victory by a margin of three in Minnesota and a commanding 17 in New Orleans. Despite their two-game losing streak, they remain just a half-game behind Atlanta in the NFC South. In their latest outing, Tampa Bay managed only one touchdown, a 40-yard pass to Mike Evans in the first quarter. To compete with the Bills in Buffalo, they'll need to find more offensive firepower.

Baker Mayfield has been a pleasant surprise for Tampa Bay, guiding the team to a .500 record in six games. However, his production has dipped in the last two games, with just one touchdown pass and two interceptions. On the season, he averages 227.2 passing yards per game, ranking 14th in the league with a QBR of 58.6. Mike Evans remains Tampa's top receiving threat, averaging 78.0 yards per game with four touchdowns and eight receptions of over 20 yards. Chris Godwin is a solid second receiver, averaging 66.3 yards per game but has yet to reach the endzone this season. The Buccaneers have faced struggles in the ground game, with Rachaad White as their top back, averaging just 44.3 yards per game and the only rushing touchdown of the season.

Buffalo's season has seen both highs and lows, having been favored in all their games this season but suffering losses to the Jets, Jaguars, and most recently, the Patriots. The loss to New England was particularly painful, given their substantial lead with less than a minute to go. When asked about their struggles, quarterback Josh Allen expressed uncertainty, stating, "I wish I knew the exact answer because we'd have it fixed by now. Our season's not over. It's a long season. It feels pretty bleak right now, but we're going to figure it out."

Josh Allen ranks 5th in the NFL in total passing yards with 1,841 for the season, averaging 263.0 yards per game. He's tied for the league lead in touchdown passes with 15 but also shares 2nd place in interceptions with seven. His QBR stands at 74.7, placing him 3rd overall, but Buffalo is eager to see him reduce turnovers. Stefon Diggs ranks 4th in the league in receiving yards, averaging 96.9 yards per game with six touchdowns, although he appears frequently displeased in Buffalo and refrained from speaking to the media after the Patriots game. Gabe Davis serves as a dependable second receiver, averaging 49.6 yards per game with four touchdowns, while rookie Dalton Kincaid has taken on the role of the top tight end with 25 catches this season. James Cook leads Buffalo in rushing, with an average of 59.9 yards per game and three runs of over 20 yards.

Headlines 🚨

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The Nuggets win first game of the season over Lakers behind Nikola Jokic’s triple double.

Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark

🏈 Buccaneers at Bills

• The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games

• The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games on the road

• Buffalo is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games at home

• Buffalo is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

🏀 NBA

32% of bets and 62% of money is on OVER 235.5 WSH at IND

35% of bets and 58% of money is on OVER 235.5 ATL at CHA

45% of bets and 71% of money is on UNDER 219.5 CLE at BKN

🏈 NFL

58% of bets and 82% of money is on BUF -8.5

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Injury Report 🏥 via ESPN

BUF (TE) Dawson Knox | Out - Wrist

TB (DL) Vita Vea | Questionable - Groin, will be a game time decision

TB (QB) Baker Mayfield | Questionable - Knee

TB (WR) Chris Godwin | Questionable - Neck

Picks 🔒

Mavericks -3.5 | Dallas is a team that can score on anyone. Their top two stars are playing which will put pressure on the Spurs defense which was one of the worst last years. The Mavs have won 7 out of the last 8.