Do the defending champions get off to a successful start in the playoffs?
The reigning champions dig in. A round earlier than they would probably have liked, but still in a good starting position. Although they should by no means underestimate the Eagles.
Already in the regular season, they gave them a great fight and were only narrowly defeated by 22:28. Since then, however, Philly have won seven of their last eleven games, which means they can be described as being in good form.
This makes the bettors’ nearly 9-10 point lead per Tampa a bold proposition. After all, the defending champions are missing two very important receivers in Antonio Brown and Chris Goodwin.
Therefore, for Buccaneers vs. Eagles, our prediction is a closer game than many experts believe. However, the Bucs could still prevail in the end due to their greater experience.
Kickoff of the first Sunday game of this year’s NFL Playoffs is Sunday night at 19:00 in Tampa Bay. The game can be watched live on ProSieben and on DAZN.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Statistics & current form
Tom Brady is chasing his eighth ring and it would hardly surprise anyone if he ends up succeeding. However, it will be much more difficult this season than last year, which is due to several aspects.
For one, he is missing Chris Goodwin and Antonio Brown through injury and radiation. The two receivers were two important pieces of the puzzle on this team and without them, there is a certain lack of flexibility in the offensive game.
All eyes on Gronk and Evans
While the Bucs had the deepest receiver corps in the entire NFL, only three top players remain now with Gronk, Mike Evans and Tyler Johnson. Maybe it’s another chance for second-tier players to bail Brady out.
Scotty Miller and Cameron Brate are two players who could be expected to do this. From a personnel point of view, it should also be added that running back Leonard Fournette is missing another important starting position due to injury.
Buccaneers defence not always solid lately
So in the end, their defence could once again tip the scales. While they were still one of the guarantors of victory last year, the numbers no longer speak for this absolute dominance this season.
With 331.5 yards allowed, they are only 13th in this statistic. Even their upcoming opponents from Philadelphia allow fewer yards with 328.8. This could be the key to a successful postseason.
If the Bucs manage to get a grip on this vulnerability, they will be hard to beat. In any case, we are expecting an opening win on Sunday, which makes betting on the Bucs possible in Tampa vs. Philly, even if it doesn’t offer much value.
Key Players:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Le’Veon Bell
WR: Mike Evans
TE: Rob Gronkowski
K: Ryan Succop
Philadelphia Eagles – Statistics & current form
The Eagles have made the playoffs – and in their rebuild season of all things. Well, the easy schedule especially towards the end helped a lot, as they only had to beat the Jets, Giants and Washington. But still, playoffs are playoffs.
They have already achieved more than was expected before the season and everything that comes from now on is an encore. That makes the Eagles and their insouciant quarterback Hurts quite a dangerous opponent.
Eagles with the league’s best running game
No other team runs for anywhere near as many yards per game – not even the Colts around Jonathan Taylor. The Saints, among others, had to realise that this season, as Philly racked up 242 rushing yards.
However, Tampa has one of the best defences against the run (92.5 yards conceded per game), which should make the task more difficult for Philadelphia. Still, Jalen Hurts is not to be underestimated and should be able to put up another rushing touchdown on Sunday.
Is Hurts up to the playoffs yet?
Fully, though, Philadelphia won’t be without a passing game against Tampa, which puts Jalen Hurts front and centre. His QB rating of 87.2 is only 22nd in the NFL – largely due to his mediocre passing game.
However, should he sprinkle in a rushing touchdown or two via the air – a surprise is not entirely impossible. For Bucs vs. Eagles, a bet on a rushing touchdown by Hurts is still our preferred betting option.
Key Players:
QB: Jalen Hurts
RB: Boston Scott
WR: DeVonta Smith
TE: Dallas Goedert
K: Jake Elliott
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Philadelphia Eagles Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The last game between these two teams took place in mid-October and went to the Buccaneers. However, it was only by a six-point difference, which is a margin of victory that is also in the realm of possibility on Sunday.
For Buccaneers against Eagles, the odds on Tampa with a handicap are therefore not recommended. Since pure win bets are rather meagre in terms of value, we see other bets as more promising.
On the one hand, there are under-points, as experience shows that fewer points are scored in the playoffs. But also a bet on a rushing touchdown by Jalen Hurts is recommended. He has already scored a strong 10 touchdowns via the run this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Philadelphia Eagles Pick
As expected, the stats see the Bucs ahead – especially offensively (30.1 to 26.1 points per game). However, since their defence is only on par with Philly’s, high win bets are to be avoided.
Therefore, a bet on a rushing touchdown by Hurts is our No. 1 betting recommendation for Tampa against Philadelphia. Followed by bets on subpar points, as the bookmakers set a little too high here at 45.5.
Alternatively, however, betting on Eagles +9.5 is also an option. That’s because this matchup has rarely seen Tampa win by double-digit points (once since 2004).
