Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons Prediction, 1/8/2023 NFL Picks, Best Bets & Odds Week 18

Game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons

Date: Sunday, January 8, 2023

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Falcons (-3)

Total/Over-Under: 40

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) are headed to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday where they will attempt to beat the Atlanta Falcons (6-10). Tampa Bay opens as 3-point underdogs. The over/under is 40.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into this game 8-8 for this season. When they last stepped on the football field, the Buccaneers faced off with the Panthers and went home with a win by a final score of 30-24. Tom Brady went 34/45 with 432 yards passing and 3 TDs. He had a QB rating of 127.3 and ended the contest without throwing a pick. Leonard Fournette was the best rusher for the Buccaneers with 10 carries for 28 yds (2.8 yds per carry). Mike Evans held an average of 20.7 yards per reception by tallying 207 yds on 10 receptions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushed the ball a total of 25 different times and recorded 67 yards, which is an average of 2.7 yards per carry. For the game, they ran 73 plays which totaled 478 yards. Tampa Bay conceded 23 completions on 37 attempts for 326 yds, and a completion percentage of 62.2%. When it came to stopping the run, the Buccaneers conceded 74 yds on 22 tries, which is 3.4 yds per rush allowed.

Concerning getting in the endzone, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold an average of 18.5 points per outing. As a team they have an average of 76.4 yards in the run game which is 32nd in the National Football League. The Buccaneers have attained 5,672 total yards over the course of this season. Tampa Bay has accounted for 232 1st downs as a unit, and they have been hurt by 96 infractions for 763 yards. They have given the ball to the opposition 21 different times (10 picks and 11 fumbles). When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Tampa Bay has totaled 24 touchdowns through the air and 5 rushing touchdowns.

The Buccaneers are ranked 8th in the NFL in relation to the opposition scoring, allowing 20.5 PPG. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.4 yards per tote and 117.4 yards on the ground per game this year. For the year, they have conceded 1,878 yards via the running game in 16 games. Concerning passing yards, the Buccaneers have conceded 3,253 yards which ranks them 9th in the league. They have surrendered 203.3 yards per contest through the air as well as conceding a completion percentage of 63.9%. During the season, they have surrendered 320.7 yards per game which ranks them 8th in football. They have allowed 27 touchdowns through the air as well as 11 touchdowns pounding the rock.

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The Falcons head into this matchup 6-10 for this year. The last time they took the field, the Falcons got the victory with a final of 20-19 against the Cardinals. Desmond Ridder finished the contest with 169 yds on 19/26 passing while his QB rating was 90.1. He didn't throw any interceptions and his average yards per pass attempt was 6.5 yds. MyCole Pruitt was the leading receiver for the Falcons, bringing in 4 passes for 49 yards (12.3 yds per reception). Tyler Allgeier ran the ball 20 times for 83 yards, ending the contest with 4.2 yds per attempt for Atlanta. The Falcons finished with a total of 298 yards and they ran 61 plays (4.9 yards per play). Atlanta ran the ball for 3.9 yards per attempt, finishing the game with 132 yds on 34 attempts. Atlanta conceded 27 attempts on the ground for 126 yards (4.7 yds per rush). The Falcons pass defense conceded a completion percentage of 60.0%, surrendering 213 yards on 24 for 40 through the air.

When looking at their ability to score points, the Falcons are ranked 19th out of all teams in football averaging 20.9 PPG. During this campaign so far, the Falcons have thrown for 2,491 yards via the pass in addition to an average of 155.7 throwing yards per outing, which ranks 31st out of all NFL teams. They hold an average of 159.0 yards per game via the rush and have run for 2,544 yards for the year. The Atlanta Falcons are averaging 314.7 yards per outing which ranks them 25th in football. The Atlanta offense has compiled 576 penalty yds on 66 infractions, which has them ranked 32nd in the league in terms of helping out the opposition. They have thrown 9 interceptions while conceding 11 fumbles and they have been able to earn 137 1st downs.

The Falcons are allowing 23.1 points per game, which has them in 23rd of all teams in the league. They have yielded 24 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 237.9 yards per game, which has them sitting 26th in the league. Overall, they have conceded 369 total points. Atlanta has conceded a total of 2,128 yards rushing (133.0 yards per outing) and 15 touchdowns by ground for the season. The Falcons defense taken the field for 1,028 plays, which is good for 21st in football. Their defense has compiled 16 takeaways (6 fumbles and 10 interceptions) so far this season.

Who will win tonight's Buccaneers/Falcons NFL game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Buccaneers +3

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