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New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Predictions & Odds

Written by Jimmy Boyd

giants bucs 92309 The 2-0 New York Giants head to Tampa Bay to take on the 0-2 Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium this Sunday in a Week 3 NFC showdown. The Giants will try to avoid a letdown after QB Eli Manning led them to a thrilling 33-31 win over division rival Dallas last week. The Bucs will be trying to bounce back after losing 33-20 in Buffalo. The Giants and Bucs have not faced off since a 2007 wild card contest which saw New York win 24-14 on its way to winning the Super Bowl. The Giants have won six of the last nine meetings to lead the all-time series 11-6. NFL odds makers have listed the New York Giants as a 7-point favorite with the total set at 44.

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A run-heavy offense focused on not turning the football over has treated the Bucs quite well in the past. In fact, Tampa Bay is 18-2 when it does not turn the ball over since 2002 and it is a perfect 10-0 when running back Cadillac Williams gets at least 22 totes. Thus far, however, the Bucs have been a passing team under rookie head coach Raheem Morris. Tampa Bay’s passing offense surprisingly ranks sixth in the NFL with QB Byron Leftwich running the show. The Bucs might want to consider a more run-oriented approach this week against a ferocious Giants pass rush set to tee off on Leftwich. To be honest, it really doesn’t matter what the Bucs do offensively if they can’t do a better job on the defensive side of the football. Defense has been a staple in Tampa Bay, but those days look long gone after the first two weeks. The Bucs rank 31st in the NFL in total defense and have given up way too many big plays. This week, defensive guru Raheem Morris will have to earn his stripes against a Giants offense ranked sixth in the NFL. It is worth noting that the Buccaneers are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 games as a home underdog of 3.5-10.0 points. If you think Tampa Bay will be a dangerous dog this Sunday, bet the Buccaneers at +7 at Sportsbook.com.

The Giants have been one of the best teams in the NFL at running the football, but this season they are taking to the air. Heading into the season, there were plenty of questions surrounding the New York receiving corps, but so far those questions have been answered as wide receivers Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are No. 1 and No. 2 in the NFC in receiving yards. While Eli Manning is rarely flashy, and won’t always wow you with his stat line, all the guy does is win. In fact, the Giants are 28-9 in his last 37 starts.

While the passing game has been effective, the Giants have been so successful in recent years because of their balance. They need to get running back Brandon Jacobs on track this week. Jacobs is yet to find the end zone and he is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. His struggles have led to New York’s red zone struggles. In fact, the Giants have not scored a touchdown when getting the ball in the red zone this season (0 for 8).

Defensively, the big news is Justin Tuck’s banged up shoulder suffered in last week’s win over the Cowboys. However, Tuck has vowed to play this week and it is worth noting that the Giants have won nine in a row when Tuck comes up with a sack. It is also worth noting that the Giants are 22-6 against the spread in their last 28 road games. If you like New York to take care of business on the road this week and cover the number in the process, bet the Giants at -7 at Sportsbook.com.

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