Pick: Over 47 points
Odds: -110
$100 Could Win You…$190.91
In the third and final Wild Card game for Saturday, January 9th, the Washington Football Team will host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The time is finally here for the Bucs to show us what they’re made of as they went out and signed Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown for the Playoffs.
Can the Washington Football Team pull off a big upset or will Brady and company steamroll their way into the Divisional round? Kickoff inside FedEx Field is at 8:15PM ET.
The Tampa Bay Bucs will face Washington in NFC Wild Card game on Saturday. https://t.co/RmMOZEtrca
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) January 4, 2021
Tampa Bay vs WFT Live Odds and Betting History
The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
| Teams | Spread | Money Lines | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -8 (-110) | -415 | Over 45 (-110) |
| Washington Football Team | +8 (-110) | +335 | Under 45 (-110) |
| Betting Data | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Washington Football Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Record | 11-5 | 7-9 |
| 2020 Home | 5-3 | 3-5 |
| 2020 Away | 6-2 | 4-4 |
| 2020 ATS | 9-7 | 8-7-1 |
| 2020 ATS Home | 5-3 | 4-3-1 |
| 2020 ATS Away | 4-4 | 4-4 |
| 2020 O/U | 9-7 | 5-10-1 |
| 2020 O/U Home | 4-4 | 2-5-1 |
| 2020 O/U Away | 5-3 | 3-5 |
Tampa Bay vs WFT Wild Card Game Preview
The Bucs and WFT have played against each other 23 times. Washington holds the edge with a 12-11 record. WFT is 3-1 in the last four meetings. Washington is also 6-4 all-time at home against Tampa and has gone 3-2 in the last five matchups.
These two teams have also played against each other twice in the Playoffs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Washington in the Divisional round of the 2000 Playoffs and the WFT beat Tampa in a 2006 Wild Card game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Summary
The highly anticipated 2020 season started off with a double digit loss to the Saints. The Bucs bounced back with three straight wins over subpar teams before a surprise loss against the Bears.
The loss to Chicago was cause for concern because the Bucs played below their potential and made too many uncharacteristic mistakes. This also plagued them in a second loss to the Saints and against both the Rams and Chiefs.
Ron Rivera’s team will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Saturday night, and Washington has much to work on if the Burgundy and Gold is to take down Tom Brady in a postseason game.? https://t.co/RVtbPiF6CE
— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) January 4, 2021
Following their 1-3 stretch, which dropped them to 7-5 on the season, Tampa Bay won four straight games to close out the year and earn a Wild Card spot in the Playoffs.
This is Tampa’s first Playoff appearance since the 2007-08 season where they lost in the Wild Card round to the Giants. Tampa is 1-5 in Wild Card games and 6-9 all-time in the Playoffs.
Tom Brady is 30-9 in the Playoffs. He lost in the Wild Card round last year with the Patriots.
Washington Football Team Summary
The NFC East was clearly the worst division in Washington Football Team as no team finished with more than 7 wins. Washington was gifted the division after Philly pulled starting QB Jalen Hurts in the 4th quarter of their Week 17 matchup for which the Eagles were in contention to win.
The victory over Philly gave Washington the NFC East crown despite the team going 1-2 down the stretch.
WFT was hampered by poor QB play until Alex Smith returned from nearly two years out of football. He provided a steady presence on the offense, which turned into wins for the team.
Washington was 2-7 just past the halfway mark before a 5-2 push to close out the season earned them the title in the NFC East. All of those wins came with Smith at QB.
This is Washington’s first postseason appearance since the 2015-16 season. WFT is 6-3 in the Wild Card round, but they have lost three straight Wild Card games. They’re 23-19 all-time in the Playoffs.
Head to Head Betting Trends
- Each team has won 5 games in the last 10 meetings
- Tampa Bay is 5-4-1 ATS in last 10 games
- Under is 6-4 in last 10 contests
- WFT is 4-2 SU in last six matchups
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Trends
- 5-0 SU in last five road games
- 4-1 SU in last five overall games
- 11-4 SU in last 15 games
- 8-2 SU as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5pts
- 6-0 SU against losing teams this year
- 1-4 SU in Wild Card games
- 4-1 ATS in last five games
- 2-6 ATS in last eight January games
- 6-3 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5pts
- 1-4 ATS in Wild Card games
- Over is 15-5 in last 20 NFC games
Washington Football Team Betting Trends
- 3-3 SU in Wild Card games
- 5-8 SU as an Underdog this season
- 5-13 SU as an Underdog of 3.5 to 9.5pts
- 5-2 SU in last seven games
- 2-12 SU versus winning teams
- 5-11 SU in last 16 NFC games
- 7-17 SU in last 24 home games
- 4-1 ATS in their last five Saturday games
- 5-2 ATS in last seven games
- 4-11 ATS following a divisional game
- 3-3 ATS in Wild Card games
- Under is 5-1 in last six home games
The spread opened with Tampa Bay favored by as much as 7.5 points. Since then, the spread went up to 8.5 points before settling at 8 points in favor of the Bucs with most NFL betting sites. The Over/Under opened at 47 points and has come down to an O/U of 45 total points.
Free Wild Card Sports Bet and Prediction: Under 45 points (-110)
This game is all about Tom Brady and his quest to win a Super Bowl with a team not named the New England Patriots.
Yet, he’s going up against Ron Rivera who has beaten Brady twice as a head coach for the Panthers. Brady beat Rivera twice when he was still a defensive coordinator. The head to head series is tied at 2-2.
Tom Brady is 1-3 against the NFC East in the Playoffs with all three losses coming in Super Bowls. Can Washington drop Brady’s record to 1-4 against the NFC East?
The following in-game matchups will go a long ways towards deciding the outcome of this Wild Card game:
Can the WFT Defense Slow Down Tom Brady?
The Washington Football Team has a solid defense and it could present a challenge for Brady. WFT finished 4th in scoring (20.6ppg), 2nd in total yards (304.6ypg), 2nd against the pass (191.8ypg), and 14th against the run (112.8ypg).
Fortunately for Washington, Tampa is one of the worst teams when it comes to running the ball as they only average 94.9ypg. But, the passing attack led by Brady more than makes up for it as they were a pass first team this year.
“Tom Brady, I’m coming! I want Tom! I want Tom!” Chase Young shouted as he ran off the field following Washington’s win over the Eagles Sunday night.https://t.co/l09Tb5CpON
— Tampa Bay Times (@TB_Times) January 4, 2021
Brady’s numbers on the season were 4,633 yards (3rd), 40 TDs (2nd), 12 INTs, and a 72.4 QBR (10th). The offense was 3rd in scoring at 30.8ppg, 7th in total yards (384.1ypg) and 2nd in passing (289.1ypg).
Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin led the way in this passing attack. Evans had 70 receptions for 1,006 yards and 13 TDs. Godwin, who played in just 12 games, had 65 receptions for 840 yards and 7 TDs.
Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown came on strong at the end of the season. Gronk finished with 45 receptions, 623 yards and 7 TDs. Brown finished with 45 receptions for 483 yards and 4 TDs in eight games.
It’s going to be fun to watch the chess game between Rivera’s pass rush and Brady’s ability to read the defense and make the right throws.
Against WFT in his career, Brady is 4-1 all-time with 1,599 passing yards and 13 TDs.
I give the edge in this matchup to Brady and the Bucs.
Will the WFT Offense Score Enough Points?
On the flip side, Washington’s offense has had a rough year. They’re in the bottom ¼ of the league in all major offensive categories. Furthermore, they have given up 50 sacks on the year. Making matters worse is that Washington only scores 20.9ppg.
They will be going up against a stout Tampa defense that was 8th in scoring (22.2ppg), 6th in total yards (327.1ypg), 1st against the run (80.6ppg), and 21st against the pass (246.6ypg).
As you can see, the Bucs’ weakness on defense is their secondary. However, Washington’s offensive line was near the top of the league with 50 sacks.
Even if the offensive line can hold up under Tampa’s pressure, Washington just doesn’t have the firepower to get into a shootout. They’re bringing a knife to a gunfight.
I give this edge to the Bucs defense.
The X Factor: Tampa Bay RB Ronald Jones
Jones played just 14 games this season and finished 12th in the league with 978 rushing yards. He also had 8 total touchdowns, 28 receptions, and 165 receiving yards.
Over his last five games of the season, Jones rushed for 88ypg and four total TDs. Two of those games the Bucs got behind and the run game was abandoned.
Jones has showed that he can be a #1 running back in this league. He topped the 100 yard mark four times this season including a 192 yard performance against Carolina in mid-November.
As mentioned, Washington is giving up 112.8ypg. If Tampa can establish the run with Jones, it will make the offense more dangerous as Brady is one of the best play action passers in the league.
Betting Trends to Consider
For Washington to have any shot at winning this game, they will need to keep it to a low scoring contest and use ball control with their run game.
The Under is 4-1 in Tampa’s last five games at Washington. The Under went 5-0 in WFT’s last five games, 5-1 in their last 6 home games, and 5-10-1 this season.
I like this game to end up in the 41 to 44 point range. It will be close, but I see the Bucs winning 24 to 17 in a tough outing against a solid Washington defensive effort.
Buccaneers vs WFT Betting Recap:
- Oddsmaker: BetOnline
- Moneylines: Tampa Bay (-415) vs Washington (+335)
- Spread: Tampa Bay -8 (-110)
- Over/Under: 45 total points (-110)
- Prediction: Tampa Bay 24 – WFT 17
Tampa Bay vs Washington Pick
Under 45 points (-110)
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
