Tom Brady will be back in Foxborough for Sunday Night Football when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers face Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. The game also will feature the largest age gap between starting quarterbacks in NFL history. Brady is 44, and New England rookie Mac Jones is 23. The Bucs (2-1) won the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season at the helm last season, while the Patriots (1-2) went 7-9 in their first season without him since he was drafted in 2000. Both teams come in off losses in Week 3, with Tampa Bay falling 34-24 to the high-powered Rams and New England losing to the Saints 28-13.
Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Buccaneers vs. Patriots odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 49.5. Before you lock in your Patriots vs. Buccaneers picks or Sunday Night Football predictions, you need to see which side of the Buccaneers vs. Patriots spread SportsLine NFL expert Micah Roberts is backing.
Roberts worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for more than 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos’ book director. Armed with an unmatched network of sources, the former bookmaker became a SportsLine expert in 2016.
He also has been uncanny with his picks in games involving the Buccaneers. In fact, he is 10-2 in his past 12 against-the-spread NFL picks involving Tampa Bay. For $100 bettors who have taken his advice, the return has added up to almost $800. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Roberts has broken down the Buccaneers vs. Patriots matchup from all angles and just released his expert NFL picks. You can head to SportsLine now to see his Bucs vs. Pats picks. Here are the Week 4 NFL odds and betting lines for Patriots vs. Buccaneers:
- Buccaneers vs. Patriots spread: Tampa Bay -6.5
- Buccaneers vs. Patriots over-under: 49.5
- Buccaneers vs. Patriots money line: Tampa Bay -290, New England +235
- TB: Tampa Bay is 11-7-3 against the spread vs. AFC teams since 2016
- NE: New England is 15-9 ATS against NFC teams since 2016
Featured Game | New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why the Buccaneers can cover
The offense has been prolific under Brady, who is 47-18-1 against the spread in his career coming off a loss. The ageless veteran has 1,087 passing yards, with 10 TD passes and two interceptions. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have combined for 35 catches and four scores this season.
The favorite is 5-0 against the spread in the past five meetings, and while Tampa Bay’s defense hasn’t been up to par this season, it has plenty of talent. It also has faced elite offenses in Dallas and Los Angeles. The Bucs have the fewest sacks in the league (three), but they had 48 last season. Shaquil Barrett (8.0 in 2020) and Devin White (8.0) are healthy, and Pats left tackle Isaiah Wynn has a knee issue that could keep him out. Vita Vea, William Gholston and Ndamukong Suh continue to anchor the elite run defense, so New England’s rookie QB will have his hands full.
Why the Patriots can cover
New England’s defense has been tough to throw against this season, and the Bucs don’t run the ball. The Patriots, who are 29-18-1 against the spread at home since 2016, rank second in the league in pass defense (159.7 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (282.3). Tampa Bay is 31st in rushing offense (56.3) but is second through the air (349.7). That means the Patriots can focus on Brady, and Belichick should know all of his weaknesses after they spent 20 years together. The QB isn’t immune to mistakes, and the Pats have five interceptions this season.
Cornerback J.C. Jackson (two interceptions) and linebacker Matt Judon (four tackles for loss) are playmakers, and Dont’a Hightower is a fierce leader for the defense. Jones comes off a three-interception game, but he was not at fault on two of them and the other came on a late desperation play. The Bucs have the league’s worst pass defense (338.3 yards per game) and a league-low three sacks, so he could thrive on Sunday night.
How to make Buccaneers vs. Patriots picks
For Sunday night’s game, Roberts is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is, and which side of the Patriots vs. Buccaneers spread to back, only at SportsLine.
So who wins Patriots vs. Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Buccaneers vs. Patriots spread you should be all over, all from the expert who is 10-2 in his last 12 ATS picks involving Tampa Bay, and find out.
