This evening at 8:15 PM, the Buffalo Bills and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kickoff at Highmark Stadium, where temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-60s.
The Bucs have performed above expectations this season, competing near the top of the NFC South. The Bills were projected to win the AFC East at NFL betting sites, but they’ve dropped games to lesser opponents and find themselves one win above .500 after seven weeks.
Buffalo will need to defend their home turf tonight in order to keep pace with the division-leading Miami Dolphins. The Bills are favored to beat Tampa Bay by a margin of -9.5.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Buffalo Bills Betting Line
- Point Spread Buccaneers +9.5 | Bills -9.5
- Moneyline Odds Buccaneers +345 | Bills -470
- Over/Under 43.5
Following losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and New England Patriots, it is tough to bet on Buffalo to cover, much less win. The Bills also won a narrow contest against the New York Giants by a final score of 14-9.
AFC East Standings
- Miami Dolphins 5-2
- Buffalo Bills 4-3
- New York Jets 3-3
- New England Patriots 2-5
Despite these early setbacks for Buffalo, they’re still a top contender in the odds for betting on the Super Bowl, placing fourth among all AFC franchises.
Super Bowl 58 Odds
- San Francisco 49ers +400
- Kansas City Chiefs +425
- Philadelphia Eagles +600
- Miami Dolphins +900
- Baltimore Ravens +1200
- Dallas Cowboys +1200
- Detroit Lions +1300
- Buffalo Bills +1400
- Cincinnati Bengals +2500
- Jacksonville Jaguars +2500
- Cleveland Browns +4000
- Seattle Seahawks +4000
- Los Angeles Chargers +4500
- Minnesota Vikings +6000
- Atlanta Falcons +7000
- Pittsburgh Steelers +7000
- New Orleans Saints +8000
- New York Jets +8500
- Houston Texans +12500
- Los Angeles Rams +12500
- Green Bay Packers +15000
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +15000
The Buccaneers have beaten the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Saints but have dropped games to the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Atlanta Falcons. They rank 11th in the current Super Bowl futures among all NFC teams.
Tampa Bay is now a half-game behind the Falcons in the division standings, with the tie-break going to Atlanta due to Sunday’s loss. The Bucs need the win tonight against the Bills to remain in the NFC South hunt.
NFC South Standings
- Atlanta Falcons 4-3
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-3
- New Orleans Saints 3-4
- Carolina Panthers 0-6
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has the team playing respectively. Mayfield suffered a knee injury last weekend against the Falcons, but he has been cleared to suit up tonight in Buffalo.
The Tampa Bay defense is still intact enough to keep them within games, but do they have enough to slow down Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense?
Of all the available NFL bets on the board, we like the spread for Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football. We believe the Buccaneers can hang with the Bills and cover the -9.5 points.
- Thursday Night Football Odds: Bovada Sportsbook
- Source – NFL.com