It isn't often that a game between the two teams with the worst records in the NFL from the previous season yields so much attention. However, with two fresh faces into the league making their debuts at the same time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans all of sudden are incredibly intriguing.
There isn't a moment in a young quarterback's career quite like when he throws his first touchdown pass. Today, we'll take a look at all of the touchdown props and other passing props which will be on the board for Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in their first career games.
SHARP IN PRESEASON, MARIOTA STEAMING
Mariota might have been the second pick in the NFL Draft last year, but he certainly debuted in the preseason like the man who should have been the top choice.
What we know about Mariota as a pro is the same thing we knew about him as a collegiate athlete. He's going to make wise decisions with the football, and he isn't going to turn it over a ton. That's why it's probable Mariota is only going to be a slight favorite to throw an interception in his first career game.
In terms of passing yards, the general consensus is that the rookie isn't going to be asked to throw for much more than around 200 yards in his first career game. This is expected to be a competitive game, and that should keep either one of these quarterbacks from having to throw the ball a ton from behind for more than the last few minutes of the game.
It should be worth mentioning that the Buccaneers aren't going to blitz a ton. It just isn't in Lovie Smith's blood to be a hyper-aggressive defensive mind. Instead, he'll sit back in his Cover 2 defense and ask Mariota to try to beat him.
Considering the fact that the over/under in this game is set at 42, Mariota will probably be a slight underdog to throw over 1.5 touchdown passes in his first career game.
WINSTON A WINNER FOR PROPS
Winston is the far more intriguing prospect in his first game as far as we can tell. It's a little worrisome that Mike Evans hasn't been practicing this week thanks to a hamstring problem. If Evans doesn't play though, Vincent Jackson is still a capable target to hit in the passing game for the Florida State Seminole.
Winston too, will have an over/under of right around 1.5 touchdown passes, but we would expect him to be a slight favorite instead of a slight underdog at that number.
It's the passing yards we are really keying on for Sunday's duel at Ray Jay. Smith has made no bones about the fact that he is going to take the training wheels off of Winston immediately. You saw that in the preseason a ton. It's going to result in a lot of sacks behind a bad offensive line and a lot of bad decisions that are probably going to lead in picks like we saw in his redshirt sophomore season at FSU.
However, you know that there are going to be at least three or four times in this game that the opportunity is there to pick up 40+ yards at a time. Winston hooked up with Jackson for 40 yards in his first pro game in the preseason, and similar plays could be in store for Sunday as well.
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday soiree at -3 in favor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The NFL odds total surfaced at 42. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, 2015, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS.
