Buccaneers-Eagles: game preview and betting odds
The defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will visit the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field for a Thursday Night Football NFC matchup. Kickoff is set for 8:20 pm ET.
Short week
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady recalled last year’s loss to the Chicago Bears when asked about this week’s matchup. Tampa Bay fell 20-19 on short rest in Chicago in their lone Thursday night game of the 2020 season. Brady acknowledged the challenges that come with only having three days to rest and prepare for the next opponent.
“You have these weeks and you put a lot into them in a really short period of time, like we have,” he said. “It’s like cramming for an exam, you know? You just kind of put everything else to the side and just focus on the game. … The good part is, if you win, the time on the back end is really helpful. But you’ve got to win.”
Brady fresh off his best game of the season
The Buccaneers sit at 4-1 this season, tied for second in the NFC and atop the NFC South. They come into Thursday’s game on a two-game winning streak, and fresh off their most dominant performance of the early season.
Behind a magnificent performance from Brady, the Buccaneers trounced the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday by a score of 45-17. The 44-year-old finished with 411 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, a 144.4 passer rating, all while completing 73.2% of his passes; his best performance of what was already a fabulous season from the former New England Patriot.
Tampa Bay is listed at 1.34 to defeat the Eagles on the road and improve to 5-1 on the year.
Eagles look to build off big win last week
The Eagles picked up an impressive comeback victory in Carolina last week. They entered that game on a three-game losing streak, and against an opponent that sat tied with the Buccaneers for first in the NFC South with a 3-1 record. However led by their defense, Philadelphia erased a 15-3 first half deficit on the road to get back in the win column for the first time since week one.
They will look to get back to .500 with a win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night, and they are listed at 3.45 to get it done.
Betting odds
The Buccaneers are favored by 6.5 points in this one, while the over/under is set at 52.5 total points to be scored throughout the game. You can return 1.90 times your wager on either side of both the spread, and the over/under.
Featuring a 21-year age gap, the quarterback matchup will be one to keep and eye on. Brady will go toe-to-toe with 23-year-old 2020 second round pick Jalen Hurts, who will start under center for the Eagles.
In his first year as a full-time starter, Hurts has completed 64.8% of his passes and put up 1365 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a 93.3 passer rating in five games so far this season.
Jalen Hurts Props:
Passing Yards: 286.5 (Over: 1.80 | Under: 1.80)
Passing Touchdowns: 1.5 (Over: 1.51 | Under: 2.20)
Interceptions: 0.5 (Under: 1.95 | Over: 1.66)
Passing Completions: 25.5 (Over: 1.86 | Under: 1.71)
In his 22nd NFL season, Brady is having one of the best seasons of his legendary pro career. In five games, the seven-time Super Bowl champion has completed 66.2% of his passes for a league-best 1767 yards, 15 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, posting a 108.5 passer rating.
Tom Brady Props:
Passing Yards: 304.5 (Over: 1.80 | Under: 1.80)
Passing Touchdowns: 2.5 (Over: 1.66 | Under: 1.95)
Interceptions: 0.5 (Under: 1.57 | Over: 2.05)
Passing Completions: 26.5 (Over: 1.83 | Under: 1.74)
Other props to consider
DeVonta Smith Receiving Yards: 73.5 (Over: 1.80 | Under: 1.80)
DeVonta Smith has racked up 199 receiving yards over his last two games.
Antonio Brown Receiving Yards: 63.5 (Over: 1.76 | Under: 1.80)
In four games with the Buccaneers this season, Antonio Brown has recorded 63 or more yards three times, and 121 or more twice. He had 7 receptions, 2 touchdowns and 124 yards last week against Miami.