The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face a difficult challenge in Week 8. Tampa Bay will visit Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park to face the Buffalo Bills in a Thursday Night Football matchup. The Buccaneers are also looking to stop a two-game losing streak and Tampa Bay is 3-3 overall and 2-0 on the road this season. The Bills are 4-3 overall and 3-0 in true home games, though Buffalo suffered a road loss to the New England Patriots last week.
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
Buffalo is 15-3 in the last 18 games against NFC teams and this game is in primetime, which could favor the Bills. Tampa Bay is just 2-13 against the spread in primetime since 2020, the worst mark in the NFL. The Bills are No. 3 in the NFL in scoring, averaging 28.3 points per game and 2.62 points per drive. Buffalo scores on more than 45% of offensive possessions, with top-five marks in third down efficiency, red zone efficiency, first downs, pass completion rate, passing touchdowns, and net yards per pass attempt.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is one of the game's best dual-threat quarterbacks and the only player in NFL history with at least 150 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in his first six seasons. On defense, the Bills are also in the top five in giving up only 16.9 points per game, and opponents score on fewer than one-third of possessions against Buffalo. That comes with the No. 1 turnover creation rate (19.2%) in the league, and opponents are scoring touchdowns on only 40% of red zone trips against the Bills. 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.
