Just the Buccaneers luck to get a win and continue their momentum with a bye week. Tampa Bay matched its win total from last season by defeating Jacksonville two weeks ago and has a chance to be a .500 team this late in a season for the first time since 2012 with a win over host Washington. The Skins haven’t been a good bet at home lately going 3-7 ATS in their last 10 at FedEx Field.
ODDS
Washington opened as a 4-point favorite with a total of 45.5. The Skins are laying points for the first time this season and are just 1-5 ATS in their last six when playing as the favorite. The line was wagered to -3.5 while the total fell to 43.5.
KEY INJURIES
Chris Conte – Has a history of injury problems that has kept him out of a number of games. He left Tampa Bay’s last game with an ankle injury and is questionable to play on Sunday. Conte has been the only steady player in a leaky Bucs secondary.
Bashaud Breeland – Didn’t finish last week’s game after suffering a knee contusion. He was forced into a starting cornerback role with injuries to DeAngelo Hall and Chris Culliver and performed remarkably well. He’s listed as questionable for Sunday. Quinton Dunbar took his first NFL snaps in place of Breeland against the Jets.
KEY MISMATCH
Running back Bobby Rainey has given the Bucs an added dimension with his kick returns on special teams. Following his performance against Jacksonville two weeks ago, Rainey earned NFC special teams player of the week. He earned the honor by returning three punts for 85 yards in Tampa Bay’s victory. His most memorable moment came on a 58-yard return to the Jags’ 17-yard line, which set up a three-play touchdown drive that gave the Bucs the lead. His approach on returns is simple: He said he feels like the first defender will never make a play on him. If he has room to catch the ball, he said he figures he has space to make a move. That outlook has produced results. Rainey is averaging 13.3 yards on 15 punt returns, which ranks sixth in the NFL. On eight kickoff returns, he’s averaged 29.9 yards, which ranks third. Washington has had difficulties in punt coverage, allowing 18.6 yards per return, the third-highest total in the league, and the Skins are one of six teams to give up a punt return touchdown.
KEY STAT
32.8 – Tampa Bay’s third down conversion rate. The Bucs rank 26th in the NFL extending drives. Washington allows opponents to convert just 36.4 percent of the time on third down.
BETTING ANGLE
The Redskins have made a habit of getting first half leads this season, taking a lead at the break in five of their six games, including last week’s contest with the Jets. But their overall record of 2-4 can be attributed to an inability to wake up after the break. That was the case last Sunday when the Skins took a snooze, allowing the Jets to go on a 17-0 third quarter scoring spree on their way to a 34-20 victory. Opponents have outscored the Redskins 46-3 in the third quarter, a stat that baffles players and coaches and must change if Washington is going to compete in the NFC. The Skins have more than held their own in the other quarters. They’ve outscored opponents 26-19 in the first and 40-16 in the second. But for whatever reason, that first half momentum hasn’t carried over into the third quarter and its costing Washington wins.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Bucs matched their win total from last season by beating the Jags two weeks ago. They come out of their bye week feeling good about themselves physically, too, as several players, including Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, are ready to return to the lineup. The big tight end offers another dimension in a short-strike passing game designed to take pressure off Jameis Winston and limit his mistakes. Doug Martin has emerged as a top back in the league, giving the Bucs more versatility on offense. Defense was supposed to be the staple of the Bucs but that hasn’t happened. The Redskins, despite their injuries, will turn back to the ground game against the Bucs, who are allowing nearly 120 yards a game. Washington’s D will stop the Bucs and force Winston into a few mistakes that will eventually cost Tampa Bay the game.
Washington 23, Tampa Bay 18
The NFL lines for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Redskins were positioned as 4-point favorites with a total of 45.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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