Bucs vs. Washington Spread Prediction
With uncertainty surrounding the Washington Football Team’s starting quarterback, will Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs cover as an 8-point favorite in tonight’s NFL Wild Card Weekend matchup at 8:15 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
145 Tampa Bay Bucs (-8) at 146 Washington Football Team (+8); o/u 44.5
8:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 9, 2021
Venue: FedExField, Landover, MD
TV: NBC
Tampa Bay Bucs DFS Spin
Chris Godwin caught 5-of-7 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the Bucs’ Week 17 win over the Falcons. Godwin was able to make the most of Mike Evans missing three quarters with his first 100-yard game of the season. However, Antonio Brown saw 14 targets and is clearly the primary beneficiary of Evans going down. It looks like Evans will be able to suit up in the Bucs’ Wild Card round game against Washington but if he doesn’t, Brown is the preferred target on this team. Godwin would still project for high-end WR2 numbers in the context of a six-game playoff slate.
Washington Football Team DFS Spin
Alex Smith (calf) is questionable for the Wild Card Round against the Bucs. As are Terry McLaurin (ankle) and Antonio Gibson (toe). McLaurin and Gibson should suit up on Saturday evening, though coach Ron Rivera was not ready to guarantee it with Smith. “I wish we had an extra day just to be sure,” Rivera said. “We’ll see how he is tomorrow morning and go from there.” Rivera said his quarterback was still battling soreness. Smith, frankly, did not appear ready against the Eagles in Week 17, barely moving as he completed one two-yard pass after another. He will be a liability against the Bucs, something that Rivera has tacitly admitted by floating the possibility that Taylor Heinicke could rotate in. Heinicke reportedly took the majority of the first-team snaps on Thursday.
Bucs vs. Football Team Betting Prediction
The underdog is 5-0-1 against the spread in the last six meetings between these two teams while Washington has covered in four straight games following a victory. The Football Team is also 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games overall, has cashed in four of its last five games as an underdog and is 4-1 at the betting window in its last five games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in its previous contest.
On the other side, the Bucs are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight games played in January, are 1-4 against the number in their last five playoff games when favored and are 0-4 against the spread in their last four Wildcard games.
NFL WILD CARD PREDICTION: WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM +8
