Broncos vs. Buccaneers Week 4: Game preview, odds, prediction
By John Buhler
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon in Week 4. Here is the game preview, the betting odds, and a final score prediction.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will welcome the defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos to Raymond James Stadium for a late afternoon kickoff in Week 4. Start time is at 4:05 PM ET. CBS will have the telecast.
Tampa Bay has dropped its last two games after winning it home opener over the division rival Atlanta Falcons. The offense has been good at times, but fluctuates under inconsistent second-year starting quarterback Jameis Winston. Mike Smith’s defense has given up at least 24 points in all three of Tampa Bay’s games this season.
Denver is undefeated at 3-0 with first-year starting quarterback Trevor Siemian under center. The Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Wade Phillips’ defense looks unbelievable again in 2016. Siemian is playing better than Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler did at any point in 2015.
According to Oddshark.com, the Buccaneers will be a three-point underdog at home to the Broncos. The associated money lines are Denver -141 and Tampa Bay +119. The over/under is set at 44 combined points.
Odds
Point Spread: Tampa Bay +3
Moneylines: Denver -141, Tampa Bay +119
Over/Under: 44
A few betting trends to keep in mind with this rare meeting between the Broncos and Buccaneers are as follows: 1.) Denver is 5-0 straight up and against the spread in its last five ball games. 2.) The Broncos are 7-2 straight up in their last nine road games, but 2-2-2 in their last six away from Denver against the spread. 3.) Tampa Bay is 5-13 against the spread and 3-15 straight up in its last 18 home games. 4.) The Buccaneers have gone over in five of their last six games.
Barring an absolute meltdown from the Tampa Bay offense, swallow the points to take Denver and the over in a parlay. This game has the makings of an embarrassing blowout loss at home for Tampa Bay and here’s why:
The Buccaneers have no home field advantage whatsoever and a 4:05 PM ET start time doesn’t make the East Coast trip the slightest bit difficult for Denver. The Broncos defense is bound to go off and throw Winston off his game early. Denver’s offense isn’t great, but Tampa Bay has a sub-par defense.
Denver is going to win this game and cover the spread fairly easily, but getting over 44 points might prove difficult. Tampa Bay’s blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, 40-7, yielded only 47 combined points. The Broncos defense is better than Arizona’s in the early part of 2016.
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The Broncos are going to lose at some point in October, but it’s not going to be on Sunday. All signs point to a blowout Week 4 victory for the Broncos. This brutal loss to Denver is going to kill some serious morale in the Buccaneers locker room.
Pick: Broncos 34, Buccaneers 16