Why you should take Buccaneers ATS over the Bears on TNF

The last time we saw Nick Foles and Tom Brady face off was in Super Bowl LII, when the Eagles upset the Patriots 41-33. This time they’ll both be in new uniforms, with the stakes not quite as high. But, both of these teams come into this matchup at 3-1

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are road favorites in this matchup, as they are favored by 4-points and the total is set at 44 points at DraftKings Sportsbook.

ATS Pick: Bucs

The Buccaneers come into this game on an upswing, having won three in a row, averaging 32.3 points per game in that stretch. They’ve had to do it with multiple injuries at wide receiver. This Thursday night will be no different, as Chris Godwin and Justin Watson are out and Mike Evans and Scotty Miller didn’t practice, but are listed as questionable.

Miller and Evans played at less than 100 percent last week against a good Chargers pass defense and put up strong numbers, while Ronald Jones topped 100 yards rushing and caught six passes. If that core group is there, I still like the Buccaneers’ chances of putting up points.

The Bears have been putting up points this year, with the majority coming in the fourth quarter. But last week, against a good Colts defense, Nick Foles looked bad. He was again able to pad his stats in garbage time, but the Colts easily bottled him and the offense up all day. The question is, can he get things going against a Buccaneers defense that is also quite good. According to Football Outsiders DVOA, the Colts have the No. 1 defense while the Buccaneers have the No. 2 defense. And the Bucs have had been better at getting to the quarterback with 14 sacks and 26 QB hurries through four games.

Tampa Bay has a lot of injuries, which may push people toward the Bears, but their offensive and defensive lines are both playing well and Tom Brady looked truly great last week against the Chargers. But, in the end, this game comes down to Foles versus a strong defense and I don’t think he’s going to be able to get the job done.

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