Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5), Total 41.5 |
Tampa Bay picked up its third win of the year in a 24-17 win on Monday Night Football over the Indianapolis Colts last week, but failed to cover the 10 points. It’s a common theme for this team, as they play much better as underdogs for the betting public.
That’s good news for bettors in Week 5, as the Buccaneers are getting points as they travel out West for the first time this year. Tampa Bay registered a 24-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago as three-point underdogs.
Quarterback Josh Freeman threw for a season-high 287 yards last week, while also throwing and running for a touchdown, as the team will be aiming to start a season with a 4-1 record for the first time since the 2005 campaign.
“Survive and advance. That’s what we’re after,” commented third-year Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris. “Got a short week and we’re going to San Francisco.”
He will need to preach to his team to limit mistakes when going on the road, as the squad barely survived committing 14 penalties for 106 yards a week ago.
Bettors will find that the Buccaneers are 13-3 ATS on the road the last two-plus seasons, while the ‘under’ is 10-7 in those contests.
San Francisco sits atop the NFC West division with a two-game lead, stealing a 24-23 contest last week as 9.5-point road underdogs against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers were down by 20 points in the third quarter, but quarterback Alex Smith was phenomenal down the stretch.
It’s still important to note that the offense ranks 28th in the league, gaining just 292 yards per game, which tempers expectations for this team when they are favored against any team in the league.
Running back Frank Gore is the most important player on this team, as the squad is 11-4 when he rushes for 100 or more yards since the 2007 campaign, while posting a 14-29 mark when he fails to reach that mark.
When making your NFL betting picks, take into account San Francisco’s 10-5 ATS mark at home, while the ‘over’ is 9-8 in those games.
