Tampa Bay won consecutive games for the first time since 2013 and reached the elusive .500 mark behind the stellar play of Jameis Winston, who directed the Bucs to 521 yards of offense in a thrashing of the Eagles last week. Tampa Bay has the same record as Seattle in the NFC and appears to be trending up with six games remaining.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Indianapolis Colts -2.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5
Over/Under 47
ODDS ANALYSIS
Oddsmakers and bettors aren’t convinced the Bucs are ready to take the next step. Indy opened as a 2.5-point favorite and the line quickly wagered to -3. Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in its last six games. The total dropped a half-point to 46.5.
KEY INJURIES
Keith Tandy – Tampa Bay’s safety suffered a concussion last week and entered the league’s protocol for head injuries. He needs to be cleared by medical personnel to return to action and he is questionable for Sunday.
Anthony Costonzo – Is week to week after sustaining a sprained MCL in last week’s win over Atlanta. Coach Chuck Pagano wouldn’t shed any light on his starting O-line after his left tackle went down, but Joe Reitz shifted from his right tackle spot, left guard Jack Mewhort moved to right tackle and Lance Louis was inserted at left guard in last week’s game.
KEY MISMATCH
There are plenty of signs of improvement when it comes to the Jameis Winston-led Buccaneers, who have won four of six, with the most impressive of those coming last week in Philadelphia. The No. 1 overall pick tied a rookie record with five touchdowns passes against the Eagles and Doug Martin topped 200 yards rushing for the second time in his career. The Bucs amassed 521 yards of offense and Winston’s scoring passes went to five different receivers. Winston has improved in nearly every aspect of his game. He vowed to protect the ball better after a five-turnover game against Carolina and went four straight without a turnover. When the Bucs struggled in the red zone against the Giants and Cowboys, Winston went to work on making quicker decisions in the passing game and the improvement showed up against the Eagles. The Bucs are also getting healthy and a suddenly potent offense has room to be even better.
KEY STAT
14.0 – Indianapolis’ quarterback sack total. The Colts have the second-fewest sacks in the NFL and will need to pressure Winston to disrupt the rhythm of the Bucs’ quarterback, who threw for 246 yards and five touchdowns while facing little resistance from the Eagles front last week.
BETTING ANGLE
The Colts keep finding ways to adapt. Andrew Luck gets hurt, they win. They change offensive coordinators, they win. Luck goes down again, they win again. And now, the AFC South co-leaders are coming back home with two straight wins, a boost of confidence, full of momentum and facing a schedule that includes only one more team with a winning record. It’s a dangerous combination for a team that has so far underperformed. After starting 3-5, with no wins outside its own bad division, the Colts ended Denver’s perfect season, and then last week rallied behind a 40-year-old backup quarterback to overcome two 14-point deficits for a victory at Atlanta. And the Colts have been one of the best bets in the NFL in recent weeks, covering the spread in five of their last six contests.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Bucs had a breakout game last week, dropping the Eagles 45-17 with Winston and Martin having huge games against a defense that couldn’t do much to stop them. It’s easy to think the Bucs have turned a corner with a four wins in their last six games, but they remain inconsistent with a big loss against the Giants and blowing a 24-point lead against Washington. Tampa Bay also struggled two weeks ago against a Cowboys squad that was playing without Tony Romo. So, while the Bucs are a good story, they should remain a cautious bet. The Colts were left for dead two weeks ago but rallied behind beleaguered coach Chuck Pagano and backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck following the loss of Luck to a lacerated kidney, and won two straight to hold down the top spot in the AFC South. The circumstances aren’t perfect for Indy, but they continue to find a way to win and they will against the Bucs, who just aren’t ready to be a contender yet.
Indianapolis 26, Tampa Bay 24
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