Free Picks: Washington Football Team vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Washington Football get to test their mettle this weekend against Bruce Arians’ pass-happy Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense.  As winners of their division, the Football Team will host the Buccaneers in a Wild Card matchup that will pit a potent offense against a strong defense.  Betway has the Buccaneers as -8 (-110) road favourites.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a tumultuous season but now find themselves in a smash spot against the Washington Football Team for Wild Card Weekend.

Betway has the Buccaneers as big road favourites, at -8 (-110), but will the Buccaneers even win?

It’s absurd that the Washington Football Team can make the playoffs with a 7-9 record.  The 11-5 Buccaneers are the latest victim of the NFL’s archaic playoff format, but ironically, in this case, it’s a good thing for bettors.

I would never suggest with a straight face that the Football Team is better than the Buccaneers.  The Buccaneers are loaded with offensive weapons, Tom Brady, and are an overall better team, but it’s unwise to underestimate the Washington Football Team at home.

On the other side of the ball, the Football Team has the edge.

Washington has young defensive monsters like Chase Young and Ryan Kerrigan manning their front-seven, and they could make life miserable for Tom Brady, who is a statue in the pocket.  He may also be missing his favourite receiver in Mike Evans, but luckily, he still has guys like Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown.

The Buccaneers are 4-0 since their Week 13 Bye, so they have momentum going into this game, but it’s also important to note that no team has scored more than 20 points against Washington since Week 10.  The Football Team ranks third in Defense-adjusted Over Value Average (DVOA), which considers strength of opponent.

Washington is average against the run, allowing 112.8 yards per game, but Tampa Bay will be without Ronald Jones II again. They’ll have to rely on a committee consisting of Leonard Fournette, LeSean McCoy, and Ke’Shawn Vaughan.

Yeah, not great, but it isn’t like Bruce Arians likes to run the ball anyway.

I smell an upset, but I’m not bold enough to go with Washington to win outright.  Betway offers a value point spread of +5 (+140), and I say take those points.  Washington’s defense is for real, so I like their odds at home to keep it within 5 points.

• Washington is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games
• Washington is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games
• Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against Washington
• The UNDER has cashed in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games on the road against Washington