Buccaneers Open as 2.5-Point Favorites Against the Raiders in Week 7 SNF
- Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers open as 2.5-point favorites vs the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 7 Sunday Night Football (8:20 pm EST)
- The Bucs intercepted Aaron Rodgers twice and recorded five sacks in a 38-10 win against the Packers in Week 6
- See opening odds, team overviews, and a prediction about how the line will move
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are both considered among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. But Sunday, Brady got his job done and Rodgers didn’t as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) knocked the Packers (4-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 38-10 triumph.
With Brady becoming more comfortable with his new team with each passing week, the Buccaneers are favored by 2.5-points against the Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) on Sunday in Week 7.
The Raiders are coming off a bye week, meaning they will be slightly less beat up than the Buccaneers. They are also 3-2 against the spread. After defeating the defending Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, the Raiders are averaging 30.2 points per game.
Buccaneers vs Raiders Opening Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -154 | -2.5 (-120) | O 54.5 (-105) |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +130 | +2.5 (+100) | U 54.5 (-115) |
Odds taken Oct. 18th at FanDuel.
Brady and Defense Powers Bucs over Packers
It seems clear that the Buccaneers made the correct decision to sign Brady. But was also clear in the Buccaneers’ shellacking of the Packers Sunday was that the Tampa Bay defense can be as formidable, maybe even more formidable, than Brady.
After the Packers built a 10-0 lead, the Tampa Bay defense made it a miserable day for Rodgers. In addition to posting five sacks and two interceptions, one a pick six, the Bucs defense put relentless pressure on Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Brady reminded everyone gaudy numbers aren’t required to look impressive. He only threw for 166 yards, but hit the key tosses when he needed them.
43 year old Tom Brady, gallantly leading his team to a lead, is really something to behold today.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) October 18, 2020
Meanwhile, running back Ronald Jones rushed for 113 yards to give him three consecutive 100-plus yard rushing games.
The Buccaneers looked like one of the NFL’s most complete teams.
Gronk Turns Back the Clock vs the Packers
Rob Gronkowski told the Tampa Bay media he could tell from practice that he was getting close to being where he was when he played with Brady on the New England Patriots.
On Sunday, he proved that was true. He was Tampa Bay’s top receiver with 73 yards on five receptions. That included a 12-yard TD reception. It was the first touchdown in 679 days for Gronkowski who came out of retirement to join the Buccaneers.
Gronk TD number one in his first season back from retirement 💪
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/DWjfz6udFr
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2020
Not only did Gronkowski have his best numbers, but he looked like he did when he played with New England, adjusting perfectly to the ball on his touchdown pass. He found a seam down the middle for a big catch. The television camera also caught him sealing off an important block on a lengthy run by Jones.
Raiders’ Carr Enjoying Best Season of His Career
Many athletes say they don’t believe in “statement” victories, but the Raiders’ Week 5 40-32 win against the Kansas City Chiefs clearly elevated the Raiders’ status around the NFL.
It also made pundits and fans look harder at Raiders quarterback Derek Carr who might be having his best season. Analysts have been critical of him in the past because he only has a 42-57 career record as a starter, but he has looked sharper this season. He has thrown for 657 yards in his past two games, including 347 in the 40-32 win against the Chiefs.
His 288.4 yards per game average is even better than his average in 2016 when he was 12-3.
Derek Carr through 5 games:
11 TD’s (6th in NFL)
1 INT
73.1 CMP% (2nd in NFL)
288.4 Y/G (10th in NFL)
115.9 QB Rating (3rd in NFL)
80.8 QBR (7th in NFL)#Raiders https://t.co/5JlTIvCqQa— Jason Pombo (@jpombo24) October 17, 2020
Point Spread Could Grow During the Week
As bettors start to digest and react to what a reinvented Brady-Gronk connection might mean for the Tampa Bay offense, we could see the point-spread grow. If Gronkowski is even close to becoming the Gronk of old, he provides Brady with a scary weapon.
He has thrown 91 TD passes to Gronkowski in their time together, and Gronk can be particularly helpful to Brady in the red zone.
Kevin Allen has covered most major events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final. He covered the NHL for USA Today from 1986-2020, receiving the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 with the Elmer Ferguson Award.
