The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came oh-so-close to dealing the New Orleans Saints their fourth loss of the season in Week 5, but ultimately fell 37-31 in overtime. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens also had a rough outing on the road as they fell victim to the streaking Indianapolis Colts. It’s going to be an action-packed game when these two teams meet on Sunday, and below we break down the key stats that could define this tilt.
Also in Week 6, the Giants and Eagles face off on Sunday Night Football as New York’s Eli Manning slugs it out with Philadelphia’s Nick Foles.
[sc:Football ]Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay
When: Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3); total 43.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens’ three-game win streak was snapped with a 20-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Ravens are now 5-3 following a loss since 2013.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Ravens’ offense struggled mightily against the Colts. They went a disappointing one of 11 on third-down conversions. They also had three costly turnovers: an interception from quarterback Joe Flacco, and fumbles by wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and punt returner Jacoby Jones. The Ravens’ offensive issues kept their defense on the field for more of the game, as the Colts had a 17-minute edge in terms of possession.
Flacco was also sacked a season-high four times, after being sacked only three times in the previous four weeks this season. Still, Flacco shouldn’t be bothered too much by Tampa Bay’s pass rush. Aside from five sacks against Pittsburgh’s porous offensive line, the Bucs have averaged one per game.
Baltimore’s top receivers were disappointing against the Colts. Facing a fourth down with 39 seconds remaining, last year’s top receiver Torrey Smith dropped a crucial pass at the Colts’ 25-yard line, while Smith caught five balls for just 34 yards on seven targets. The two combined for eight catches for 72 yards. Despite the struggling receivers, Flacco completed 22 of 38 with 235 yards and an interception. The Bucs have one of the worst pass defences in the league allowing 292.2 yards per game.
Runnning back Justin Forsett caught a season-high seven passes for 55 yards, and added 42 yards and Baltimore’s only touchdown on six carries. Forsett should be up for a big game against Tampa Bay’s rushing defense which surrenders 120.2 yards per game and six touchdowns overall.
The Ravens are 4-1 in their last five games against NFC South.
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pushed the New Orleans Saints to overtime, but could not capitalize as they lost a 37-31 thriller. The Bucs have now covered the spread in back-to-back games.
Bucs quarterback Mike Glennon completed 19 of 32 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints, but was intercepted once and was sacked for a crucial safety in the fourth quarter. Still, Glennon had a big game thanks to wide receiver Vincent Jackson. The Bucs’ leading receiver caught eight passes for 144 yards, his highest total this season.
With Baltimore allowing 269.2 passing yards per game, Jackson should be able to find open spaces in Baltimore’s defense to catch Glennon’s passes.
In contrast to their passing, Tampa Bay had a poor performance on the ground. They only managed 66 rushing yards against New Orleans, averaging 3.1 yards per attempt. The Bucs have shied away from the run game (averaging 21.2 carries per game, third-least attempts in the league) perhaps due to having to play catchup in most of their games.
However, designing running plays for leading running back Bobby Rainey (199 yards on 41 carries) will be one of the keys to unravelling Baltimore’s defense. Against the Colts, the Ravens’ defense faltered late into the fourth quarter due to fatigue – they were on the field for around 38 minutes – allowing Andrew Luck to throw 4-for-4 for 107 yards on passes of 15 yards or more downfield.
On the other side of the ball, the Bucs have something positive to take away from their game despite allowing 371 yards to Drew Brees and the Saints. Cornerbacks Johnthan Banks and Alterraun Verner each had an interception, while linebacker Danny Lansanah scored on a 33-yard pick-six.
The total has gone over in Tampa Bay’s last three games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Ravens (-3) bounce back from their horrible outing at Indianapolis.
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