Thursday Night Football odds, spread, line: Buccaneers vs. Bills picks, NFL predictions by expert on 16-7 roll – CBS Sports
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will try to maintain an unbeaten home record when they take the field for Thursday Night Football. The Bills are 4-3 overall and 3-0 at Highmark Stadium this season and will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to begin Week 8 of the NFL schedule. Tampa Bay is 3-3 overall and 2-0 on the road this season. The two teams will meet for the first time since Week 14 of the 2021 season, and Tampa Bay is 4-2 against Buffalo since 2000.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Buffalo. The Bills are 9.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 43.5 in the latest Buccaneers vs. Bills odds. Before you make any Bills vs. Buccaneers picks or Thursday Night Football predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine expert Micah Roberts has to say, given his mastery of picks involving Tampa Bay.
Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20-plus years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos’ book director. Armed with an elaborate network of sources, Roberts has unmatched info in multiple sports. He has a particularly keen eye for Tampa Bay, going 16-7-1 on his NFL picks involving the Buccaneers, returning $830 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his advice is way up.
Now, Roberts has locked in on Buccaneers vs. Bills from every angle and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Bills vs. Bucs:
- Buccaneers vs. Bills spread: Bills -9.5
- Buccaneers vs. Bills over/under: 43.5 points
- Buccaneers vs. Bills money line: Bills -450, Buccaneers +345
- TB: Buccaneers are 3-3 against the spread this season
- BUF: Bills are 3-4 against the spread this season
- Buccaneers vs. Bills picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Buccaneers can cover
Tampa Bay will face a Buffalo defense that is struggling with injury and performance. The Bills allowed 29 points to the previously-scuffling Patriots last week, allowing New England to snap a 17-game streak without exceeding 28 points in any contest. Buffalo is operating without several key players on the defensive side, including long-term injuries for linebacker Matt Milano, cornerback Tre’Davious White, and defensive tackle Da’Quan Jones.
Buffalo is also No. 31 in allowing 5.2 yards per carry this season, and opponents have almost 900 rushing yards against the Bills in seven games. The Bills are also in the bottom third of the league in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert 42.4% of attempts. The Buccaneers have only six turnovers in six games, a top-five mark, and are giving the ball away on fewer than 10% of offensive possessions. With the Buccaneers also moving the chains on 43.2% of third down chances, Tampa Bay can avoid mistakes, sustain drives, and take advantage of Buffalo’s potential weaknesses. See which team to back here.
Why the Bills can cover
The connection between quarterback Josh Allen and receiver Stefon Diggs fuels one of the best offenses in the NFL. Allen leads the NFL with 15 passing touchdowns and is also in the top 10 with four rushing touchdowns this season. Allen is in the top five in passing yards (1,841), completions (174), QBR (74.7), and passer rating (100.7), with the talented quarterback also generating 7.5 yards per pass attempt. Allen’s elusiveness leads to the league’s fourth-best sack rate (3.91%) among qualified quarterbacks, and he has 29 career games with both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, No. 4 all-time.
His favorite target is Diggs, who posted top-five marks in the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2022. Diggs entered 2023 with five straight 1,000-yard seasons, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection is off to a flying start this season. Diggs is No. 2 in receptions (55) and receiving touchdowns (six). Tampa Bay’s defense struggles against the pass, ranking No. 27 in the league in yards allowed, and Buffalo can take advantage of that shortcoming. See which team to back here.
How to make Buccaneers vs. Bills picks
Roberts has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning Under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Bills vs. Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bills vs. Buccaneers spread hits hard, all from the expert who is on an impressive 16-7 run on picks involving Tampa Bay, and find out.
