Jameis Winston will make his much-awaited debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday against the only 1-0 team in the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Vikings are amongst the biggest favorites of the week. They're laying 3.5 at home, somewhat thanks to the fact that they played so well in the Hall of Fame Game, and somewhat thanks to the fact that they’re at home.
The total is relatively low at 36, but again, the world has already gotten a look at a team which played a game to just 17 points to kick off the season on national television.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Of course, we're not sure what the rotation is going to look like in Tampa Bay. Lovie Smith has never worked with a young quarterback who is turning into the face of a franchise before. We suspect he'll play at least a full quarter.
Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato are the only other quarterbacks on this roster, which doesn't put any confidence in bettors.
Minnesota had a pretty even split of its quarterback rotation in the Hall of Fame Game. Teddy Bridgewater will very likely get a full quarter of action, while Mike Kafka and Taylor Heinicke will finish things up.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Last year, Mike Zimmer led his Vikes to 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS record. This year, he is already off to a great start with a 14-3 win over the Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game. Lovie Smith is around a .500 coach in the preseason for bettors at 19-20-1 ATS, so the definitive edge here goes to Zimmer.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I thought our team looked fast and physical. Like the official said to me after the game, 'You guys played a very clean game and did things the right way. That's what I was looking for at this early stage of the season." – Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer on the Hall of Fame Game against Pittsburgh
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Zimmer was really worried about the pass protection of his team. The Vikings really didn't give a ton of time to any of their quarterbacks in the pocket. This offensive line has four different rookies, three of which were drafted trying to make the team, and needless to say, none have stood out for any of the right reasons as of yet.
INJURIES
We already know that Adrian Peterson isn't going to play in the preseason for the Vikes, but the good news is that Minnesota is relatively healthy through one of its five preseason games.
Chris Conte has missed the whole first week of training camp with a hamstring injury, making him questionable for this game.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Vikings didn't really impress us in the Hall of Fame Game. Their offense had a couple decent drives, but the special teams had a lot to do with those points.
We just have this feeling that Winston is going to light the NFL on fire. He won't play all that much, but we suspect Tampa Bay is going to end up on the scoreboard before he leaves.
That gives a huge edge to a team which is already getting a solid 3.5 points to start.
Tampa Bay 20, Minnesota 13
BookMaker put out the first point spread for this Saturday game at the Minnesota Vikings -3.5 and a total of 36. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on your television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! Week 1 of the preseason continues with the encounter between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, August 15, 2015. This 8:00 p.m. ET duel can be viewed live on WFLA.
