Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
December 5, 2021 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Atlanta Falcons +11 ; Over/Under: 50.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers clash Sunday afternoon in a week 13 NFL NFC showdown from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Tampa Bay has won consecutive games, most recently over the Colts last weekend. As for the Falcons, they’re 2-2 in their last four and coming off a win over Jacksonville. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
Tampa Bay started off the year on a nice 6-1 run with a lone loss to the Rams. The Buccaneers lost consecutive games to the Saints and Washington, but they’ve won their last pair versus the Giants and Colts.
In the win over the Colts last weekend, the Buccaneers were down early but posted a 24-7 edge after halftime during a 38-31 win. QB Tom Brady put up 226 yards with a TD and a pick, and Leonard Fournette finished on 110 yards with three scores off 17 carries.
Over on the Atlanta side, they got off to a rocky 1-3 start in their first four games. After wins over the Jets and Dolphins, the Falcons lost to the Panthers, beat the Saints, then lost to the Cowboys and Patriots. Atlanta got another win over Jacksonville last weekend.
In the Jaguars game, the Falcons scored in each of the first three quarters and held on for a 21-14 victory. Matt Ryan finished on 190 yards, one TD and one pick. Cordarelle Patterson managed 108 yards with two scores off 16 carries.
The Bucs are 5-1 ATS in their last six in Week 13 and 1-4 ATS in their last five after an ATS win. Tampa is 1-5 ATS in their last six road games and 1-6 ATS as a road favorite.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games in December and 2-5 ATS in their last seven versus the NFC South. Atlanta is 2-6 ATS in their last eight versus the NFC.
PICK: I’m probably sticking with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers matchup against the Colts wasn’t exactly dominant, but they got the job done. Tampa posted 359 total yards and 28 first downs, also benefiting heavily from Indy’s five turnovers.
As for the Falcons, they came up with 332 yards and 21 first downs against the Jaguars. Atlanta allowed 357 with 5.0 yards per play on the other side. Tampa is going to come on a lot stronger, and I don’t think the Falcons can hold them back.
