Odds, Lines, Spread, and Picks NFL Week 3
It may very well be the NFC Championship matchup, but there’s a long way to go for the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be squaring off for a trip to the Super Bowl.
For now, their Week 3 matchup is all about trying to make due with what’s available and stay in the mix in the early part of the season.
While we fawn at the Aaron Rodgers vs Tom Brady megastar matchup — it will be the first time ever that a pair of 3x MVP’s go head-to-head — the more interesting subplot is who they will be throwing to.
It all gets underway from Raymond James Stadium at 4:25pm ET, in game that can be seen live on FOX.
It’s as close to a pick’em as they come, with the Buccaneers tabbed as 1-point favorites in this one.
Packers vs Buccaneers Odds
Odds as of September 24th from Barstool Sporstbook.
Checking the NFL Betting Trends, the public seems to side with the home team, with 62% of the bets against the spread going to the Buccaneers, and 56% on the moneyline. They’re also expecting the QB’s to carry the offenses, as 65% of wagers are taking the over.
Green Bay Betting Outlook
After an season-opening dud, Green Bay got right against the Chicago Bears, taking the lead early in the second quarter and never looking back in a 27-10 win.
Rodgers bounced back with a 19-for-25 passing day for 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had a lot of help in running back Aaron Jones, who erupted after just eight total touches in Week 1, to rush for 132 yards on 15 carries, while adding a touchdown.
Jones also caught three balls for 38 yards and another score. In two games, he’s had 26 total touches and is averaging close to 9.5 yards per.
He’ll have to be better against Tampa, as when he had just 75 total yards on 23 touches in two games last season.
Jones should feature more prominently as the Packers’ receiving room was on the injured list. Sammy Watkins (hamstring) has already been ruled out, while Christian Watson (hamstring), Allen Lazard (ankle) and Randall Cobb (illness) all missed practice on Thursday. Cobb and Watson are listed as questionable.
After getting torched by Justin Jefferson in Week 1, the Packers’ defense found its footing against the Bears. They limited QB Justin Fields to just 70 yards passing, with no TD’s and one interception.
They also sacked him three times — two by Preston Smith — and had six total tackles for loss. Their scoring defense currently ranks seventh in the NFL at 16.5 points per game.
Tampa Bay Betting Outlook
It wasn’t pretty, but the Buccaneers gutted out a pair of road wins in Dallas and New Orleans to get out the gate 2-0.
Tom Brady, who turned 45 this offseason, hasn’t really gotten into vintage Brady mode. He’s yet to top 213 yards passing in either start, and he’s thrown for just 402 yards, with two TD’s and an interception.
Brady will be shorthanded major weapons Sunday as well. We know for sure that Mike Evans (suspension) is out, as is Chris Godwin (hamstring). Julio Jones (hamstring) missed the NOLA game, and he’s questionable, as is Russell Gage (hamstring), Breshad Perriman (knee) and running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring).
Fortunately, Brady doesn’t need to be a one-man gang. He’s got himself an elite defense, one that is allowing a league-low 6.5 points per game after two weeks, and leads the NFL with 10 sacks.
Head coach Todd Bowles has always been an architect of drumming up pressure, and so far, he’s hitting all the right notes.
In a slugfest of a game against the Saints, the Bucs broke open a 3-3 game in the fourth quarter with a Brady TD pass to Perriman, while the defense picked off Jameis Winston and took it back to the house for a score.
