Wayne Root
NFL
Millionaire- Bucs
NBA
Millionaire-Bucks
Millionaires---Tampa Bay
The Bucs opened up their season with a 31-24 win playing in Atlanta. Since then, these two teams have headed different directions. The public has picked up on that by backing the Falcons with an almost unprecedented 83% of the bets attached to Atlanta. They limited Julio Jones to 66 yards in that game as the glaring stat in game one. He will be slowed by a knee injury for this game. If the Bucs (3-4) win, they'll have the season sweep of the Falcons and be a half-game out of first and even in losses with the Falcons. Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston owns three wins over the Falcons. WR Mike Evans has 44 catches for 595 yards and six touchdowns. The Bucs will force the ball deep to Evans, who wins more than his share of jump balls. Additionally, Tampa Bay's tight end Cameron Brate could give the Falcons’ defense problems when Winston is not throwing to Evans. The Falcons defense is not very good as evidenced by allowing 29 ppg. Tampa is on high alert with their focus to get their first win at home this season with this divisional game. With Carolina at 2-5, a Bucs win here will go a long way in tightening up the NFC South. At 3-4, Jameis Winston has to figure out a way to get his team back on track if he wants to lead them to the playoffs and it will have to be thru the air. More importantly, a Bucs win is more than a win in the standings since they would own the tiebreaker. There might be a logical explanation why Tampa has won three straight against Atlanta. Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Smith, formally with flipped roles in Atlanta, know full well what Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are capable of and game plan properly. Some how, some way, the Bucs find just enough to get it done and will get their season back on track. Call this a gut instinct but I like the Bucs squeaking one out late with their first defensive turnover and their first win at home.