A battle between two teams off to very different starts through seven weeks of the seaso., The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to the Meadowlands to battle the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Riding high after an impressive 45-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, the Buccaneers will look to keep pace in the loaded NFC with a win. On the flip side, the Giants will look to get back in the victory column after a loss to the Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Blowing a late lead, the Giants fell to 1-6 on the season and will once again be in tough in this one against a red hot Tampa team. The finale of a crazy week number 8 in the NFL; here’s what to expect in this one.
Heading into the matchup winning seven of the last eight games between the two teams, including an upset victory at Tampa Bay last season, the Giants will face the new look Buccs for the first time. Beginning to play better after a sluggish start to the season, Tampa Bay is riding high after back to back victories over the Raiders and Packers. Torching both defenses, Tom Brady was able to throw for 535 yards and six touchdowns between the two victories. Incorporating more and more plays from his days in New England, Brady and the Buccaneers offense have looked much improved from their early-season struggles over the past few weeks.
Without Chris Godwin, after it was announced he would miss a few weeks with a finger injury, Tampa Bay will rely on wide receivers Scott Miller and Tyler Johnson to step up in his place behind number one receiver Mike Evans. Struggling against the pass all season long, the Giants have failed to get any steady play behind free-agent acquisition James Bradberry in the secondary. Currently allowing over 250 passing yards per contest, if the Giants are unable to slow down the Buccaneers’ passing attack, it will be a long night for Joe Judge‘s group.
One storyline to watch in this one will be how the makeshift Giants offensive line holds up against one of the best pass rushes in the league. Early in the week, starting left guard Will Hernandez tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the team to quarantine all but four members of the position group. Second, in the league in sacks with 25 through seven weeks, Todd Bowles group blitzes a league-high 42.5 percent of the time, which could lead to major problems for an undermanned New York offensive line. With questions in the run game remaining for both teams, look for two very different approaches in this one.
After being the top option in the Buccaneers backfield over the first few weeks of the season, Ronald Jones was out-touched by Leonard Fournette in Tampa Bay’s win over the Raiders. Still featuring longtime veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn in a crowded backfield, Tampa Bay still has yet to have a lead back step up at the midway point of the season. Unable to get consistency out of any back on the team after a season-ending injury to Saquon Barkley, the Giants have struggled to run the football over the past few weeks, with free-agent acquisition Devonta Freeman becoming benched last week.
Game Info
Date: November 2, 2020
Start Time: 8:15 P.M. est
Location: East Rutherford, NJ
Stadium: Metlife Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Points Spread: TB -12.5 (-110) | NYG +12.5 (-110)
Moneyline: TB -730 | NYG +480
Over/Under: O 45 (-110) | U 45 (-120)
Looking at the gambling lines, the money line price of -730 is way too high to place any money on a Tampa team that is sure to win. The strongest play of the night is to take the Buccaneers -12.5 and the over. Red hot over the last five games, Brady has tossed 15 touchdowns and one interception. Likewise, the Giants head into the matchup ice cold, scoring 21 points or more just one time this season. Currently averaging over 30 points per game through seven weeks, Tampa Bay will supply enough points to push the game over the number.
Prediction
A game that should begin to get ugly with the Giants down a few starting offensive linemen, look for the Buccaneers to pull away in this one. While Tampa Bay could struggle early after two road games in three weeks, the Giants do not possess the talent on either side of the ball to keep up with Tom Brady and company.
Final Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 New York Giants 17
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