Our Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction takes a look at the Week 18 matchup that features a stout NFC South rivalry. Let’s dive into the current NFL betting odds, key storylines to watch, and make a prediction for the game. Note that all odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Monday, Jan. 2.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Odds
- Spread
Falcons -3 - Moneyline
Falcons -170, Bucs +145 - Over/Under
40.5 points
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Prediction
This has been a remarkable season for the Buccaneers. Despite their offensive struggles, coaching mishaps, and the defense’s inconsistencies, Tampa Bay is now playoff bound after locking up the NFC South in Week 17.
With a win last week over the Carolina Panthers, the Bucs moved to just 8-8 on the season, but they were able to secure the NFC South division and ensure their spot in the 2022 NFL postseason.
The offense finally showed some signs of life, too, as Tom Brady threw for a ridiculous 432 yards and three touchdowns against Carolina, which is — by far — his highest yardage total of the season.
Will we see Brady and the starters out there for Tampa in Week 18 though? With the Bucs securing a playoff spot already, it makes sense to push for a week of rest versus risking injury for one of their key players.
Regardless, Brady is heading for yet another postseason appearance, and we can never count out the GOAT at this time of year.
As for the Falcons, they were able to pull off a last-second victory in Week 17 over the reeling Arizona Cardinals to advance to 6-10 on the season. Unfortunately, due to the Bucs’ win last week, Atlanta has been officially eliminated from playoff contention.
It’s been an interesting year for Arthur Smith and this Falcons team as they attempted to figure out life after Matt Ryan. After the trade that sent away the long-time Falcons QB, Smith was tasked with finding an adequate replacement to captain the offense. That never necessarily took place.
MORE: Panthers vs. Saints Prediction, Odds, and Picks for Week 18
Marcus Mariota struggled when he was called to play a more prominent role in the offense, and rookie Desmond Ridder has struggled in his first two NFL starts. As Atlanta’s attention turns to 2023, solving the QB position will be a big part of the equation to get this team back to above .500.
Atlanta has taken two explosive playmakers in the top 10 in back-to-back NFL drafts with Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Finding a quarterback that can maximize their talents and abilities has to be at the top of the priority list for this regime and coaching staff.
If they can do that, at this time next year, we could be talking about them as the No. 1 seed in the NFC South and ready to make a postseason push.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Score Prediction
Falcons 21, Buccaneers 20