Jordan Love and the Packers hit the road in Tampa Bay, where the winless Buccaneers will have a rookie under center hoping to pull off an upset.
Misery loves company and these two teams have gotten off to underwhelming starts through Week 4.
Green Bay’s defense struggled to contain the Falcons, surrendering 35 points and losing at Lambeau by 21 points despite being close to five-point favorites for “Thursday Night Football.”
Things weren’t much better for Todd Bowles and co., as the Bucs fell to 0-3 after a 23-16 loss to the Vikings. To add insult to injury, Baker Mayfield suffered a broken thumb in the waning seconds of the defeat.
In this matchup of two desperate teams, Jordan Love and the Packers enter as 3.5-point road favorites at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Packers vs Buccaneers prediction, best bet
The Bucs will trot out rookie Jalon Daniels against a generous Packers defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in rushing (28th) and allows 266.7 yards through the air per game.
Tampa’s best chance is to attack on the ground, where they rank 9th in rushing DVOA (6.2%), behind Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell.
On the flip side, the Bucs’ passing attack has been underwhelming because an unstable offensive line has allowed a league-high 13 sacks.
Daniels’ debut under center may come with a few bumps. Even with Micah Parsons still sidelined, Lukas Van Ness and Edgerrin Cooper present a formidable Green Bay pass rush.
Matt LaFleur and company have opened the season 0-3 against the spread, squeaking out their single victory in an overtime win against the Jets in Week 2.
Desperate for a win, the Packers have been left languishing without Josh Jacobs and rank dead last in the NFL in rushing entering Week 4. Marshawn Lloyd hasn’t found his rhythm, while Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks simply aren’t moving the chains enough to earn larger workloads.
Betting on the NFL?
Love has been airing it out more than usual, he is third league-wide in passing attempts with 124 through three games. When he has time, Love is finding Christian Watson and Matthew Golden with ease (sorry Tucker Kraft fantasy owners).
One silver lining is that these two wideouts have produced every week: Watson has scored a touchdown in each contest, while Golden broke out with his first 100-yard receiving game against Atlanta.
With Tampa turning to a backup and Love’s offensive line getting a major veteran overhaul through multiple signings, I’m leaning toward the Packers getting back in the win column.
However, Green Bay’s shaky defense and a Bucs rookie signal-caller could shorten the field, so I’ll also take a shot at the Over of 39 points.
The Play: Same-game parlay (+180, BetMGM): Packers moneyline (-185) + Over 39 total points (-110)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
