Monday Night Football Picks: Giants vs. Buccaneers Odds & Predictions
Giants vs. Buccaneers Odds
| Giants Odds | +10.5 |
| Buccaneers Odds | -10.5 |
| Over/Under | 49.5 |
| Date | Monday, Nov. 22 |
| Time | 8:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
The New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will conclude Week 11 of the NFL season on Monday Night Football at Raymond James Stadium. In this primetime showdown, oddsmakers are expecting a relatively easy win for Tampa Bay, pricing the Buccaneers as greater than a touchdown home favorite on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup, along with other NFL betting tips, to see where there’s value at sportsbooks ahead of kickoff.
Read more: Giants vs. Bucs Prop Bets
New York Giants (+10.5)
In 2020, Daniel Jones was significantly worse than league average, both when under pressure and facing a blitz. Jones’ struggles when under duress have continued this fall while playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Bettors can be sure that the always aggressive Todd Bowles will have plenty of creative blitz packages drawn up to make Jones uncomfortable tonight. It will not help that Sterling Shepard has once again been ruled out with a quadriceps injury. Saquon Barkley appears poised to return to the field for the first time since October 10 this evening in Florida. However, he is unlikely to be a cure-all for this offense, considering that he will be facing one of the best run defenses in football—in addition to the fact that Barkley has not run for more than 57 yards in a game this season.
Defensively, the Giants could be in a lot of trouble against the Buccaneers. Only six teams are allowing more yards-per-carry this fall than the Giants. This could be a prime opportunity for Tampa Bay to reestablish a running game after a dreadful performance on the ground in Week 10. New York is also likely to struggle to defend the pass in this one. Opposing signal callers have thrown for 16 touchdowns against only nine interceptions—good for a 92.4 passer rating. Tackling could be an issue in the secondary without Logan Ryan, who leads New York in tackles in 2021.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10.5)
Per Pro Football Focus, Tom Brady has graded as the best quarterback in the NFL this fall. Other than a dreadful performance last Sunday against the Washington Football Team, Brady has been masterful in 2021. He leads the league with 27 passing touchdowns and ranks third with a 65.9 QBR. Yet, the problem in Tampa Bay’s losses this year have not been because this group lacks talent in the passing game. The main issue is that Head Coach Bruce Arians often becomes overly-reliant on his elite passing game options at the expense of establishing a rushing attack. Leonard Fournette is averaging 4.3 yards-per-carry, but has only 112 rushing attempts in nine games. Giovani Bernard has only seven attempts in eight games. Rob Gronkowski is questionable for tonight, but the team sounds optimistic that he will return to the field in some capacity. Antonio Brown has already been ruled out, as he continues to nurse a bad ankle. Nevertheless, bettors should expect the Buccaneers to make the running game a point of emphasis this evening, which should make life easier for Brady and company through the air as well.
The Buccaneers are dealing with a number of injuries on the defensive side of the ball ahead for Monday Night Football as well. Vita Vea is doubtful for this evening’s action with a knee injury. Rakeem Nunez-Roches is a less significant loss, but still a quality depth option that will be on the sidelines for this one. Richard Sherman was placed on injured reserve on Friday, though he might be of better use to the Buccaneers as a quasi-coach than as a cornerback. The Buccaneers are vulnerable to big plays, having allowed 35 completions of 20-plus yards. However, the Giants have the fewest completions of 20-plus yards in the entire NFL, which should mitigate that vulnerability this evening.
Giants vs. Buccaneers Pick & Prediction
The Giants had the benefit of a bye week to prepare for this contest, but they are still significantly out-matched in this prime time affair. Bettors may be hesitant to trust the Buccaneers after an embarrassing performance against the Football Team. Yet, Brady and company should face little resistance through the air in this one, and the Buccaneers also have a fantastic opportunity to do damage on the ground against New York—if Arians is willing to mix up his play calling. A small wager on Tampa Bay to cover the spread this evening is warranted in this spot.
PICK: Buccaneers -10.5 (-110)
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