National Football League Week 5 features a pair of NFC South teams getting together for Thursday Night Football. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the road at the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay comes into the game leading the division with a 3-1 record. The Buccaneers are fresh off a blowout win at home over the Philadelphia Eagles. They lead the division over New Orleans and Atlanta.
The Falcons are 2-2 on the season. Atlanta was able to kick a last-second field goal and bead the New Orleans Saints at home on Sunday. The Falcons are tied with the Saints, just a single game behind the Buccaneers in the division, and a game ahead of the Carolina Panthers.
The Atlanta Falcons come into this game as the small favorite. The Falcons are -1.5 at home over the Buccaneers. The total for this battle sits at 43.5 points.
Buccaneers Looking to Stay Atop Divisional Standings
With 37 points against Washington and 33 against Philadelphia, the Buccaneers are showing they can put points up in a hurry. Baker Mayfield has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards, and 8 touchdowns, with two interceptions. He has also been sacked 15 times.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are the top threats in the passing game. They have combined for more than 540 yards and six touchdowns in the early going. Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer are the other receivers with a touchdown. In the run game, Bucky Irving has 203 yards, while Rachaad White is at 115.
Tampa Bay is on the road for two in a row. Following this game, they are at the New Orleans Saints. Then, the Buccaneers are on Monday Night Football, as they will host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Captain Kirk in Atlanta
Kirk Cousins has come to Atlanta and moved the needle a bit on their offense. The long-time signal-caller has completed 64.7% of his passes for 864 yards and four touchdowns. He plays ahead of Michael Penix Jr. who was drafted in the first round by Atlanta, and will eventually get a chance to start in his career.
Darnell Mooney has been the top target for the Atlanta offense. He has 225 yards via the air and has scored a touchdown. Drake London leads the team with two touchdown receptions. Bijan Robinson is getting most of the work in the backfield. He averages just shy of 14 carries per game, but has just a single touchdown on the ground.
This is the second of three straight divisional games for the Falcons. Atlanta is on the road at Carolina in Week 6. Following that, the Falcons will come back home and host Seattle, before going to Tampa to finish the month.
Atlanta Wins at Home
This should be a great National Football League game. The Buccaneers have been playing great football, and coming off a fun win. The Falcons are the team many have been talking about and think has the most talent in the division. Anytime these two teams get together, you just never know. We expect a close one, but ultimately, the Falcons win at home. This will make the divisional standings even tighter in the NFC South. Our final bet for this game is the Atlanta Falcons -1.5 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.