The Atlanta Falcons (4-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) will kick off the Sunday afternoon slate of NFL Week 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be streamed on platforms like YouTube TV.
The Falcons are consensus 2.5-point favorites over the Buccaneers (Falcons -2.5) with the game total set at 46. Atlanta is -145 on the moneyline to win outright, while Tampa Bay is +120 to pull off the upset.
Atlanta lost 34-14 to the Seahawks last week, snapping its three-game win streak. Bijan Robinson had 143 total yards, but Kirk Cousins threw 2 interceptions. Tampa Bay lost 41-31 to the Ravens last week. Baker Mayfield threw for 370 yards as the Bucs played matchup for most of the game, but he lost receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to injuries, with the latter likely done for the rest of the season due to his ankle injury.
Let's get into my Falcons vs. Buccaneers prediction and my NFL picks and predictions for Week 8.
Falcons vs. Buccaneers Odds, Pick, Prediction
| Falcons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -115 | 46 -110 / -110 | -145 |
| Buccaneers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -105 | 46 -110 / -110 | +120 |
- Falcons vs. Buccaneers spread: Falcons -2.5
- Falcons vs. Buccaneers over/under: 46 points
- Falcons vs. Buccaneers moneyline: Falcons -145, Buccaneers +120
- Falcons vs. Buccaneers pick: Falcons -2.5
My Buccaneers vs. Falcons best bet is on Atlanta. For all of your NFL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NFL odds page.
Spread
The Buccaneers are so banged up offensively and will be playing on a short week after getting dominated by the Ravens at home. While the Falcons didn't exactly impress last week in their loss to the Seahawks either, I'm backing them and laying 2.5 points.
I do rate Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen highly, so I think this offense will still be reasonably efficient without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. There are a few trends that lead me to Atlanta being the right side.
Moneyline
I'll lay the 2.5 points and not bet the moneyline.
Over/Under
Sean Koerner projected this total as 48, and I do lean toward the over. The Buccaneers offense will definitely be less prolific without Evans and Godwin — and maybe running back Bucky Irving, too — but I think that unit will still put up points. I'm not making a bet on the total, though.
My pick: Falcons -2.5 (-115)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Week 8 Preview
These teams just played back in Week 5 on Thursday Night Football, but a lot has changed since then, especially on the Tampa Bay side.
The Buccaneers are going to be without wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin this week, which is a big blow to say the least. Also, Bucky Irving didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday, so Tampa Bay’s new three-headed backfield might be down to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker.
The Buccaneers were due for some unfortunate injury luck this season. Only one offensive starter missed a game last season, but that didn’t include any skill players.
Now, in place of Evans and Godwin, Tampa Bay’s primary WR trio will be Sterling Shepard, Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer. Cade Otton was ranked as Sean Koerner’s TE3 in his initial fantasy tiers this week.
Since that Falcons overtime win a few weeks ago, Tampa Bay blew out the Saints but was humbled at home by the Ravens. Atlanta, meanwhile, beat the Panthers then lost by 20 at home to the Seahawks.
This is an especially big game between the two contenders in the NFC South because if Atlanta pulls it off, it would have a one-game lead in the division that would feel like two with the tiebreaker over the Bucs. There’s a lot on the line.
And I’m backing Atlanta.
According to Action Network’s Evan Abrams, Kirk Cousins is 40-26 against the spread (ATS) coming off a loss in his career compared to 33-44-2 after a win. Cousins is also 3-0 straight-up (2-1 ATS) against divisional opponents this year. Since he went to Minnesota, familiarity is good for Cousins, who was 19-10-1 against NFC North opponents with the Vikings.
The Buccaneers are 14th in Defensive DVOA, while Atlanta is 24th. The teams are separated by three spots on offense, but Tampa Bay will be significantly downgraded with its depleted offense.
Also, I'm not sure this trend will last the entire season, but I'm going to ride it while it's hot. Since the start of Week 5, road favorites are 16-3 ATS.
This line is trending toward Falcons -3 as of Friday afternoon. As long as I can get Falcons -2.5, I’m backing them this weekend.
Pick: Falcons -2.5 (-115)
Betting Trends
- 60% of bets and 76% of the money are on the Falcons to cover the spread.
- 78% of bets and 67% of the money are on the over.
- 51% of bets and 67% of the money on the moneyline are on the Falcons.
How to Watch: Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Raymond James Stadium |
| Date: | Sunday, Oct. 27 |
| Kickoff Time: | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | FOX / YouTube TV |
Buccaneers vs. Falcons is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET start time, live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, on Sunday, Oct. 27. The game is broadcasted live by FOX and is streaming on YouTube TV.
NFL Weather
