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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field for a Sunday afternoon NFL matchup. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Buccaneers-Steelers prediction and pick, laid out below.
Tampa Bay was caught in the Tom Brady drama this offseason, and are now entrenched in the Brady-Gisele drama that has tabloids salivating the last couple of weeks. Still, the team is 3-2 on the football field, with Todd Bowles leading the team for the first time.
Pittsburgh has struggled in the first season without Ben Roethlisberger, going 1-4 in the young season, already on their second starting quarterback. Mike Tomlin will likely have a job until he decides he no longer wants one, but this season is shaping up to be the toughest for him in Pittsburgh.
Here are the Buccaneers-Steelers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Buccaneers-Steelers Odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -10 (-105)
Pittsburgh Steelers: +10 (-115)
Over: 45.5 (-110)
Under: 45.5 (-110)
Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread
Tom Brady, for all the distractions he is in the middle of off the field, has actually performed pretty well on the field for Tampa Bay. Brady is completing 68 percent of his passes for 1,409 yards with seven touchdowns and only one interception. Brady has been sacked only seven times. Leonard Fournette leads the team with 280 rushing yards and a touchdown. Rashad White is second with 35 rushing yards while also adding a touchdown on the ground. Leonard Fournette leads the team with 26 catches, totaling 194 yards and two touchdowns, both ranking second on the team.
Mike Evans leads the team with 316 receiving yards and three touchdowns, ranking third with 20 catches. Russell Gage and Breshad Perriman each have caught one touchdown. Tampa Bay is averaging 20.6 points per game, which ranks nineteenth in the league.
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Tampa Bay's defense has been stellar, not a surprise given Bowles' defensive background. The Bucs have held opponents to 16.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in the league. Devin White leads the team with 40 tackles, including five for loss, six quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. Tampa Bay has totaled nineteen sacks, paced by White's three sacks. Six Bucs have registered two or more sacks. Jamel Dean leads the team with two interceptions, while four other Bucs defenders have intercepted a pass. The defense's ferocity will play well against a young rookie quarterback.
Why The Steelers Could Cover The Spread
The Kenny Pickett ear has begun, albeit with a thud. In his first career start, Pickett threw for 327 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a 38-3 loss to Buffalo. Overall, Pickett has totaled 447 passing yards and four interceptions. On the ground, Pickett has rushed for 25 yards and two touchdowns, which leads the team. Najee Harris leads the team with 222 yards, adding a touchdown.
Diontae Johnson leads the team with 28 catches for 267 yards but has not scored a touchdown through the air. Pat Freiermuth is second with 20 catches for 235 yards, hauling in one of the team's two touchdown passes. Rookie George Pickens is second on the team with 250 receiving yards. Harris has caught the only other touchdown. Pittsburgh is averaging just 15.4 points per game, 30th in the league.
Pittsburgh's defense ranks 26th in the league with 25.6 points allowed per game. Myles Jack leads the team with 50 tackles, including two for loss. Alex Highsmith leads the team with five and a half sacks, with the team totaling ten sacks. Minkah Fitzpatrick leads the team with three interceptions, while Cameron Sutton is second with two. Pittsburgh has totaled eight interceptions this season.
Final Buccaneers-Steelers Prediction & Pick
Tampa Bay should be able to pull away quickly in this one and win by a comfortable margin.
Final Buccaneers-Steelers Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay -10 (-115), over 45.5 (-110)
