A major show me game is set to go in the desert in Week 2 when the Arizona Cardinals attempt to pull themselves off the mat after falling to the Patriots as near 10 point home favorites due to a missed last second field goal. Scratching out win No. 1 won’t be easy however against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that played with a confidence not seen since Jon Gruden roamed their sidelines.
This matchup in Week 2 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 4:05 p.m. ET at U of Phoenix Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6.5
Arizona Cardinals -6.5
Over/Under 50.5
Odds Analysis
The odds to win Super Bowl LI changed dramatically for teams that lost last week. One exception to that was the Arizona Cardinals who still check in with a +1100 return which is on par with where it was at even before last Sunday night’s game against the Pats kicked off. That speaks volumes about what oddsmakers still think of Bruce Arians squad.
That defeat to New England also offers up some line value on the home based Cardinals who likely would have been closer to a double digit favorite had they held up their end of the bargain. Be that as it may, Arizona opened up as 6.5 point favorites. It fell to -6 for a New York minute but then quickly went back up to -6.5. With the Bucs already winning outright in the underdog role last week, this line will either stick or drop a bit lower with a bulk of the betting public wagering on what’s fresh in their mind.
Injury Report
Drew Butler – The Cardinals punter suffered a severely sprained ankle last week, and his overall effectiveness was limited evidenced by his five punts averaging just 36 yards with a long of 41. If he isn’t able to go, it’s possible Arizona suits Garrett Swanson off the practice squad or brings another leg in altogether. Pinning the Bucs deep in their own territory could prove problematic, so this is a story line to keep an eye on up until kickoff.
Player to Watch
Could it be that Jameis Winston is growing up right before our eyes and coming into his own? After gouging the Falcons defense for 281 passing yards and 4 touchdowns last week, he was one of the most heavily sought after players on the waiver wire in most fantasy football leagues. Most impressive was his near 70 percent completion percentage that was accrued by spraying the ball around to eight different pass catchers.
Arizona allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to complete 24 of his 33 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. While they got to him twice, it never felt as if Arizona’s pass rush had him flustered. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson are enormous targets for Jameis to get the pigskin to, and they could each have big games lined up with Winston’s offensive line not allowing a single sack last week.
Free ATS Pick
We were all over the Bucs last week plus the points, and I even said to play some alternate lines for bigger payouts. As much as I loved Dirk Koetter’s squad last week, I hate them just as much this time around. Arizona is still one of the teams to beat in the NFC, and it just incurred an embarrassing defeat to a team it was likely a little to amped up to play. Arizona is too far into its revival to suffer any kind of hangover from that defeat. There’s ballgames to win, and this is a veteran laden team that will come ready to eat Sunday afternoon.
The Bucs check in 0-7 SU and just 1-6 ATS on the road off a win as well as a bankroll depleting 1-7 ATS their L/8 versus the NFC West. On the flipside, Arizona stands 15-6 ATS its last 21 played games off a pointspread defeat as well as 12-0 SU and 11-1 ATS the last 12 times it played at home off a loss against an opponent off a SU and ATS win under Arians watch. I expect a much different Cardinals team to take the field this week, and for it to let the young up and coming Bucs know who one of the big boys of the NFC truly is.
NFL Odds: Cardinals 31, Buccaneers 16
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