Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings Preview
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, MN
When: Sunday, September 24, 2017, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+105) at Minnesota Vikings (-125); total: 41.0 – view all 2017 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
The Buccaneers had a belated start to their season due to Hurricane Irma, but they looked good in their 29-7 win over the Chicago Bears in their opener.
Jameis Winston was a bit rusty as he went just 18-of-30 for 204 passing yards. The Bucs ground game was able to churn out just enough yards, though. The running back platoon of Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber combined for 114 yards on 29 carries. Meanwhile, the defense was impressive and forced the Bears to four turnovers.
Winston will be up against a tough Vikings pass defense, but with weapons like Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson, he still has the ability to make plays. That ability will be a marked advantage compared to his Minnesota counterpart.
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings offense was virtually nonexistent with the absence of quarterback Sam Bradford, and could face some similar difficulties against a stout Tampa Bay defense.
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
As good as the Vikings offense looked with Sam Bradford in their Week 1 win over the Saints, they looked equally as bad with backup Case Keenum under center in their 26-9 loss to the Steelers.
Bradford, who missed the Steelers game with a mysterious left knee ailment, is unlikely to come back against the Bucs and still doesn’t have a definitive timeline to return.
Without Bradford, the Vikings offense doesn’t stand much of a chance to function efficiently. Keenum went just 20-of-37 for 167 yards against the Steelers, and those numbers don’t figure to get much better even with more preparation time.
With the Bucs unlikely to see Keenum as a major threat through the air, rookie running back Dalvin Cook will likely face a stacked box and find rushing yards hard to come by.
The Minnesota defense will need to step up and make a lot more plays to keep the team competitive at home. Winston is still susceptible to making some costly turnovers, though, and with the Vikings capable of putting quarterbacks under pressure, they could get a couple more extra possessions off of the Bucs.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bucs (+105) find a way to beat the Vikings on the road in a defensive struggle, 21-17.
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