After a 2-0 start to the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fallen apart. They have lost four of their last five games, and their lone win in that stretch came against the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay was a heavy favorite per the NFL betting odds on the road against Pittsburgh and Carolina the last two weeks, but the Buccaneers lost a close one to the Steelers and looked dreadful in a 21-3 loss to the Panthers on Sunday. They now face three straight teams that are .500 or better prior to their bye week, starting on Thursday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Baltimore Ravens have alternated wins and losses all season, and they will look to change that against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. This game will be played on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
NFL Week 8 Betting Odds
Baltimore Ravens -2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2
Total 44
Money Line: Ravens -130, Buccaneers +110
Odds Analysis
Tampa Bay opened as a one-point favorite by the football betting odds, but the Buccaneers are now underdogs. As of Monday morning, Baltimore is favored by 1.5 points over Tampa Bay, since the Buccaneers have not impressed anyone by their recent play. The total has yet to move though with 43.5 looking like a solid number.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson hasn’t been a sharp passer this year. He has only thrown for more than 220 yards in a game one time (back in Week 2), and he has thrown for 175 yards or less in three of the last four weeks. He has struggled with his accuracy (completing less than 60% of his passes in three straight games) since opponents only have to worry about tight end Mark Andrews in the passing game. Andrews has 39 receptions for 455 yards and five touchdowns, and no other player has more than 20 catches for the Ravens through seven games.
Jackson is on pace to run for more than 1,000 yards this season, and he will lead the team in rushing yards as long as he stays healthy. J.K. Dobbins is now expected to miss at least a month due to injury, and we saw Gus Edwards carry the load in his first game in 21 months last week. Edwards and Kenyan Drake should split carries going forward, but John Harbaugh can go with the hot hand.
Baltimore is ranked 20th in scoring defense (23.5 PPG) and 25th in total defense (371.5 YPG). The Ravens have looked much better against the run the last few weeks, but this secondary has had some trouble against solid quarterbacks. Rookie Kyle Hamilton has been a disappointment as he has yet to be a regular starter even though Marcus Williams is on injured reserve.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Currently, Tampa Bay ranks outside the top 20 in scoring offense and total offense. The Buccaneers have the worst ground game in the NFL, averaging just 3.1 YPC and 67.5 YPG on the ground. Leonard Fournette isn’t a very effective running back, but the real issue is the offensive line. The interior of the line is really bad without Alex Cappa, Ali Marpet, and Ryan Jensen, limiting the effectiveness of this offense.
We might see some real soul searching from Tom Brady over the next few weeks. Brady retired and then came back to football, reportedly leading to domestic issues. The GOAT looks flustered and may be regretting his decision, even though he isn’t making many mistakes. Brady is completing 66.9% of his passes for 6.6 YPA with eight touchdowns and an interception, but this isn’t TB12 at his best.
Tampa Bay has a very good defense even though the front seven struggled against Carolina on Sunday. The Buccaneers are allowing 17.2 PPG and 302.5 YPG, and they have difference makers in Vita Vea and the linebacking corps. They are dealing with some absences in the secondary with Carlton Davis III and Sean Murphy-Bunting missing last week, and standout safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is unlikely to play after suffering a concussion on Sunday.
Ravens at Buccaneers Free Pick
The under is the best bet in this game as both offenses are likely to struggle on a short week. Neither team matches up well with the opposing defense, and we probably won’t see many touchdowns.
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