Free Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are making a comeback of sorts late in the season after winning five of their last six games. They’re fighting for a Wild-Card spot, while the Buccaneers are trending downward after dropping three of their previous four. 888sport has the Bucs as -6.5 home favourites (-109).

The Minnesota Vikings have been winning games lately.  After starting the season 1-5, they’ve managed to win five of their last six games.  However, their schedule gets tougher this week when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their home turf.

The Vikings are one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league and currently rank sixth in rushing yards per game at 145.7.  Dalvin Cook has been virtually unstoppable out of the backfield and is averaging an absurd 113.6 rushing yards per game to go along with 13 rushing touchdowns on the season, which is the most among all running backs.

On the flip side, the Buccaneers have the best rushing defense in the NFL, allowing just 74.2 rushing yards per game.  The Buccaneers’ defense has been underwhelming as of late, but coming off a bye, I trust them to steer the ship right (pun intended) against an overrated Vikings team.

The Vikings are coming off a home game where they barely managed to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in overtime and haven’t faced a quality opponent in weeks.  The Buccaneers’ have come under fire lately, notably Tom Brady, who has transformed into a turnover machine, but they’re fighting for a playoff spot and will be well-rested against the Vikings.

The Viking’s secondary is awful, allowing 261.7 yards per game through the air.  I expect Tom Brady and the rest of the Bucs’ offense to wreak havoc in a smash matchup this Sunday.

• Tampa Bay is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games against Minnesota
• The OVER has cashed in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games
• Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in their last 6 games against Tampa Bay
• The OVER has cashed in 5 of Minnesota’s last 7 games