Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots Betting Preview/Player Prop

Tom Brady makes his return to New England on Sunday night as the Patriots host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There are plenty of storylines available for this game, but none bigger than Brady facing his former team and former head coach.

Tampa Bay comes into this game with a 2-1 record after suffering a Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Buccaneers are one of the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl this season, which would be their second straight title.

New England missed the playoffs a season ago, and they are going to struggle to reach the postseason again this season. The Patriots have gotten off to a 1-2 start to begin the season, and they are underdogs in this game.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 6.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football.

Buccaneers Want to Throw

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are averaging over 418 offensive yards per game this season, and nearly all of that damage is done through the air. Tampa Bay has to find a way to fun the football effectively if they are going to become an unstoppable offense.

Tom Brady is off to an unbelievable start this season, throwing for 1087 yards and ten touchdowns through the first three games. Chris Godwin leads the team with 241 receiving yards, but Brady has plenty of weapons at his disposal.

Tampa Bay is allowing nearly 30 points per game, but that defense was terrific a season ago. The Buccaneers will look to put some pressure on a rookie quarterback in this game.

Patriots Must Play Slow

New England is averaging 18 points per game this season while holding opponents to just 17 points per game. The Patriots don’t have the weapons to win this game in a shootout, and they will look to control the clock in this game.

Mac Jones has been efficient as a rookie quarterback with the Patriots, but he has thrown three interceptions to just two touchdowns. Jones is going to have to open up the field with some deep shots at some point in this one.

The defense is going to be tested by Brady, but Belichick will have a plan in place. If the Patriots are able to limit big plays, then they will have a chance to keep this one close.

Brady, Bucs Survive Against Patriots

No one knows Tom Brady better than Bill Belichick, and the Patriots defense will be ready for this matchup. Don’t expect an offensive explosion by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this game, but they just have so many weapons.

The biggest problem for the Patriots this season has been a lack of offense, especially when they try to run the football. New England just isn’t going to be able to score enough points to win this game, but a great defensive effort will keep them in it.

Brady will make some big plays late to give his team a win, but things won’t come easy on Sunday night. Take the 6.5-points and bet on the New England Patriots on Sunday night, but it will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that pick up a Week 4 win.

Player Prop

Mac Jones (-250) Over 225 Passing Yards

While all eyes will be on Tom Brady’s return to New England tonight, we’ll focus on the Patriots’ QB, Mac Jones.

The 1-2 record and 3 INTs to only 2 TDs are not that impressive, but Jones is throwing for a lot of yards, especially as the Pats have been forced to play catchup football.

On the season, the rookie from Alabama has thrown for 737 yards, which projects out to 3,931 by the end of the year. He’s gone over 250 yards in the losses to New Orleans and Miami, while he only threw for 186 in New England’s lone win over the Jets. That comfortable 25-6 win enabled the Pats to have a more balanced attack with Jones throwing only 30 times compared to 39 versus the Dolphins and 51 against the Saints as the offense tried to erase early deficits.

We don’t see a Jets-like comfort level against the defending-champion Bucs tonight. We’ll take Jones (-250) to hit the air by necessity and go over 225 passing yards.

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