Something’s gotta give! Two struggling teams in the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to end their respective losing streaks this Sunday in a game that would represent a starting point for either side.
Can the Vikings stop their three-game slide? Or will the Buccaneers finally grab their first home win of the season? Read on for a complete preview of this showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Week 8 games between Seattle and Carolina and Baltimore and Cincinnati.
[sc:Football ]Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
When: Sunday, October 26, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Line: Minnesota Vikings (+3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3); total: 42.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Minnesota Vikings
It was heartbreak all over again for the Minnesota Vikings as wide receiver Sammy Watkins scored the game-winning touchdown with one second remaining to give the Buffalo Bills the narrow 17-16 victory this past Sunday.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Last season, the Vikings blew five last-minute leads and it was déjà vu all over again in this game as they failed to stop Buffalo’s final drive. The game seemed to be all but over when the Bills found themselves with a 4th-and-20 situation late in the contest but quarterback Kyle Orton took advantage of some bad coverage by Chad Greenway to zip a 24-yard pass to tight end Scott Chandler to keep the drive going.
Watkins eventually put the finishing touches to the 15-play, 80-yard drive as the Bills snapped their two-game home losing streak. It’s back to the drawing board, however, for the Vikings who stumbled to their third consecutive defeat.
There were still plenty of positives for Minnesota to take heading into their clash with Tampa Bay later this weekend. One of those was their defense, which was superb right before that late-game collapse. They recorded six sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception in a commanding performance that was only undone because of the big plays they allowed late in the game.
An ongoing concern for Minnesota, however, is their inept offense. In their last three defeats, they have averaged just 9.7 points per ballgame. They will find the going much easier against the Buccaneers who are the worst defensive team in the league this season, allowing an average of 422.8 total yards per game.
The Vikings are 2-2 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay’s bye week couldn’t have come at a more opportune time after they lost for the fifth time in six games this season with a sound 48-17 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens last week.
The Buccaneers had no answer for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco who torched them for 306 yards and five touchdowns on 21 of 29 passing. Flacco became the first QB to throw five touchdowns in the opening half since Tom Brady did it against Tennessee back in 2009.
It has been that kind of year for the Tampa Bay defense, which is dead last in total defense (422.8 yards) and passing defense (294.5 yards). It has been so bad for Tampa Bay this season that head coach Lovie Smith was forced to admit in an interview after the game that they were horrible, saying, “We’re not a good football team. It’s as simple as that.”
With the loss to Baltimore, the Bucs dropped to 0-3 at home this season. They will look to grab that elusive first victory at Raymond James Stadium when they host Minnesota this coming Sunday.
Both teams have struggled offensively this season with Minnesota being the fourth-worst team in the league in total offense with an average of 309.1 yards per game. Not to be outdone, the Buccaneers are even worse, averaging just 306.8 yards per game in total offense this year, good for 30th in the NFL.
Not helping matters for Tampa Bay is their inability to rush the ball. They have the fifth-worst rushing offense in the league with a paltry average of just 89.8 yards per game. In their last game against the Ravens, they were limited to just 87 rushing yards with running back Doug Martin leading the way with 45 yards on 11 carries.
However, the Bucs can take heart in the fact that they have the Vikings’ number in their last few meetings. The Bucs are an impressive 5-0 SU in their last five games with the Vikings dating back to November 2002.
Writer’s Prediction
The Vikings (+3) edge past the Buccaneers to snap their three-game losing streak.
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