Buccaneers vs Falcons Prediction, Odds & Best Bets for Week 18 (NFC South Foes Meet in Low-Scoring Battle)

Buccaneers vs Falcons Week 18 Game Info

2022 NFL Regular Season — Week 18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, 3-4 Away) vs. Atlanta Falcons (6-10, 5-3 Home)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
Time: 1 p.m.
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, GA
Coverage: FOX

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to build momentum for the NFL Playoffs when they visit the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18 NFL action. Tampa Bay took down the Carolina Panthers by a score of 30-24 on Sunday to win the NFC South. Wide receiver Mike Evans tallied 204 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Atlanta took a step in the right direction with a 20-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. Running back Tyler Allgeier continued his late season success with 95 total yards and 1 touchdown on 21 touches. Cornerback Isaiah Oliver made an impact with his first sack of 2022.

Buccaneers vs Falcons Odds & Spread

All NFL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: TB: (+142) | ATL: (-168)
Spread: TB: +3 (-105) | ATL: -3 (-115)
Total: 40.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Falcons enter this contest as small home favorites on the moneyline and spread on FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This Week 18 clash also features one of the lower totals on the NFL slate at 40.5 points.

Buccaneers vs Falcons Prediction & Pick

Normally, backing quarterback Tom Brady in the final week of the regular season is an obvious choice. That isn't the case here, though. Tampa Bay is locked into the NFC's No. 4 seed and gain nothing by winning or losing this game. It is Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder that has a ton to play for.

Ridder earned the first win of his NFL career in Week 17 and completed 73.1% of his passes (19-of-26) for 169 yards. He will aim to give the fans something to look forward to in 2023 with another solid outing. The Buccaneers did allow Sam Darnold to throw for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns on Sunday.

Head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that the plan is to play his starters, but it wouldn't be surprising to see players like Brady puled early on. I'll take the Falcons to end the year on a high note.

Final Score Prediction: Buccaneers: 17 | Falcons: 20

Buccaneers vs Falcons Betting Trends

- Tampa Bay is 5-0 straight up in its last five games against Atlanta.
- The total has hit the under in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 16 games.
- Atlanta is 1-4 against the spread (ATS) in its last five home games.
- The total has hit the under in each of Atlanta's last five games.

Buccaneers vs Falcons Best Bet

Avoiding the spread in this game is a smart move as no one outside of the Buccaneers themselves know who will be suiting up and for how long. When it comes to the point total, backing the under is the way to go. The total did hit the under in the Week 5 matchup between these teams (36 points).

The under has also cashed in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 16 games as well as in each of Atlanta's last five games. The Falcons rank 27th in plays per game this season, while the Buccaneers rank 30th in points per away game (15.5). All signs point to a slow-paced, low-scoring NFC South matchup.

Bet: Under 40.5 Points (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.