Falcons vs. Buccaneers Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 8 (Can Atlanta Sweep the Entire Series?)

The Atlanta Falcons are 3-0 in their first three games against division opponents and a second win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday would put them in the driver’s seat to win the NFC South this season.

The Buccaneers will be without their two elite receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, meaning they will have to rely on their running game if they want to be competitive against Atlanta.

Let’s take a look at where the odds currently stand for this game and then I’ll break down my final score prediction for this divisional matchup.

Via fees BetMGM Sports Betting

Spread

money line

Total

The Buccaneers were 2.5-point favorites going into the leadoff game, but due to injuries to their two main offensive weapons, the situation changed and now the Falcons are the 2.5-point favorites.

With Godwin and Evans out, it will be difficult for the Buccaneers to remain competitive in this game. I broke down my best bet in this week’s edition of the “On the way to 272 bets“:

The Buccaneers were slight favorites on Monday morning, but after injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin during Monday Night Football, the line opened again at Falcons -2 for this NFC South rematch. I didn’t hesitate to jump to Atlanta, as I assume the line will rise to -3 unless it is announced that the Bucs will have Evans back for Week 8.

Without Evans and Godwin, I’m struggling to find ways for Tampa Bay to move the ball. Their opponents will likely fill the box to stop their running game and have them lean on a group of backup receivers to get some sort of boost through the air.

The Falcons’ performance last week was poor. Penalties, turnovers, bad plays, and poor play led to a big loss for the Seahawks, but that was probably one of those games we can write off. Every team has one or two games throughout the season where they bring their “F” game and that was certainly one of those for Atlanta.

The Falcons are a much healthier team and will be able to take advantage of that offensively. Tampa Bay will have to pull something out of their bag of tricks to win this game.

As for the total, I’ll take the UNDER. Tampa Bay will have a hard time moving the ball offensively and I don’t expect the Falcons to have an offensive explosion like they had against this defense a few weeks ago.

Final Score Prediction: Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17

Odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can consult all Iain’s bets here!