Buccaneers vs. Washington Football Team: NFL Week 10 betting odds, preview, and pick
Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4). (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire)
November 11th, 2021
Following both teams' bye weeks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Football Team will meet in D.C. for a rematch of last year’s NFC Wild Card matchup.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup.
Bucs enter as huge road favorite
Tampa Bay is a 9.5-point favorite on the road and the total is set at 51, which seems a bit high, given the defensive talent on both rosters.
The Bucs are 6-2 straight up and just 3-5 against the spread, while Washington is a disappointing 2-6 and just 1-7 against the spread.
The Bucs have yet to cover a spread on the road, while Washington has failed to cover one at home.
Injuries could hamper Tampa Bay
The Bucs are clearly the more talented roster in this matchup and have Tom Brady leading the way for this veteran group. The bye week came at a much-needed time, however, as injuries have mounted.
Injuries in the secondary have persisted throughout the year and are a major concern for the Bucs, but in recent weeks, it is the offense that has been bitten by the injury bug.
Veterans Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski are expected to miss the game, and wide receiver Chris Godwin did not practice on Wednesday.
#Bucs WR Chris Godwin has a foot injury and hasn't practiced today.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 10, 2021
They already dealing with Antonio Brown missing games and has his foot in a boot. Also Gronkowski is missing time with injuries.
Against a Washington defense that has underperformed in 2021 but still has plenty of talent, Brady may be forced to push the ball into contested throwing windows.
Tampa Bay vs. Washington injury report
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Washington Football Team |
|---|
WR Antonio Brown: Questionable (ankle) | WR Curtis Samuel: Questionable (groin) |
TE Rob Gronkowski: Questionable (ribs) | DE Montez Sweat: Out (jaw) |
WR Chris Godwin: Questionable (foot) | C Chase Roullier: Out (leg) |
DE Jason Pierre-Paul: Questionable (shoulder) | TE Logan Thomas: Out (hamstring) |
Buccaneers and Washington betting trends
- Bucs are 0-5 ATS in their last five games as a road favorite
- Bucs are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against an opponent from the NFC East
- The underdog is 8-1-2 in the last 11 matchups between these two teams
- The Under is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 games Washington has played against a team with a winning record
- Washington is 1-7 ATS in 2021
Washington O-line could get a boost
Both teams have several notable names on their injury report, despite coming off a bye, but two players likely to return for Washington are offensive linemen Sam Cosmi and Brandon Scherff.
These two make up the right side of a line that hasn’t been healthy all year and could give the team four of its five Week 1 starters across the front.
With the 51st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team selects OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas#NFLDraft2021 pic.twitter.com/goorsD8oVA
— PFF (@PFF) May 1, 2021
Tampa Bay is a bit overrated as the defending Super Bowl champion, especially given the injury issues some of its veterans and secondary players have faced.
In the NFL, even the worst teams against the spread usually find a way to cover four games per year. While Washington is quite clearly one of the worst on that front, its single win against the spread indicates the likelihood of some regression here in the latter half of the year.
In this big matchup, Washington will benefit from the bye week, and with a good home defense, it will be able to hassle Brady and his depleted weaponry enough to stay within single digits for this cover.
Score prediction: Tampa Bay 24, Washington 16
Pick: Washington +9.5
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