THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL – WEEK EIGHT
Baltimore Ravens (+1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45.5 [U]
The Buccaneers peg-leg into this game as a one-dimensional team who isn’t even good in that dimension.
On paper, Tampa should be a passing juggernaut but injuries and inconsistency have conspired to render their Top Ten passing game into a fading mirage.
Tonight, Mike Evans returns from suspension, and three wide receivers, Charles Godwin, Julio Jones, and Russell Gage, all listed as questionable to play, will indeed take the field.
It’s getting silly folks. When is the NFL going to start making teams pay for fudging up the injury reports? It used to be “questionable” players were more likely not to play.
The problem isn’t the Mateys receiving corps—it’s an offensive line that can’t run block; T-Bay is the worst rushing team in the NFL.
Baltimore's pass defense is below any acceptable standard--but even if a bad defense knows an opponent must pass, that’s makes offensive execution much more difficult, puts sack pressure on a 45 year-old QB, and ups the likelihood of turnovers against the NFL’s third best team at taking the ball away.
Tampa lost its last two to Pittsburgh and Carolina on the road, and have only one win at Raymond James all year.
Their record won’t be improving in that regard.
Baltimore might not have the defense Crows fans are used to and their passing game is wildly inconsistent—but Lamar Jackson can torch anybody at any moment of any game. He’s got a better shot of doing that than Tom Brady has at getting younger.
When you add the best kicker in the game, Justin Tucker, to Baltimore’s package, the call for this “Capper is easy—take the single digit and play the Under.
Ravens 26
Buccaneers 16
***Author's Note: I changed the spread from Baltimore -1 to +1 because that was the line when I placed my bet--evidently when Brady's receiving corps was greenlighted to play, a ton of Shark and public money went Tampa's way...