NFL Week 17 Betting Lines: Buccaneers vs Falcons Preview

Conundrums abound when it comes to handicapping the NFL Week 17 betting card. That’s certainly true of the Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game as this match-up doesn’t mean a whole lot to either team.

That said, the Falcons have proved that they play to win during Week 17. Kickoff for this NFC South rivalry contest is slated for at 1:00 PM ET on December 30, 2012, from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.

Atlanta Falcons: Top NFC seed will play to win versus Bucs

Although they are locked in as the top seed, and own home field advantage throughout the 2013 NFL playoffs, we don’t expect Atlanta to take their foot off the gas against Tampa Bay today. The Falcons coaching staff wants to keep their players sharp and they will play their starters in this meaningless contest – for at least a half anyway. History shows that Atlanta plays to win in their season finale as they are 5-0 S/U (4-1 ATS) in Week 17 games dating back to the 2008 season.

Black Birds traditionally soar during their NFL Week 17 season finales

During the Falcons recent five game Week 17 winning run, Atlanta has outscored their opponents by a combined 171-98 final count – good for a 34-19 average. Those numbers include a 45-10 rout of the Buccaneers in Week 17 last season even though they had a Wild Card playoff position sealed prior to the start of the game. While we don’t expect the final to be that lopsided today, we like the Falcons to cover the spread against a Tampa Bay team that appears to have packed it in.

Sportsbook Review Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta Wagering Odds and Prediction

Checking out the betting lines for the Falcons vs. Buccaneers match-up, at the sportsbetting.com online sportsbook, we find Atlanta posted as moderate home chalk at -4 (-110) points against the spread. The bookmakers at the SportsBetting wagering website have set the Over/Under at 45.5 total points but they haven’t posted a money line for this contest. Atlanta’s 24-23 Week 12 win in Tampa Bay sent the Bucs into a tail spin and they have now lost five straight games.

While revenge could be factor here, the Bucs pass defense is on the verge of allowing the most passing yards in NFL history. Their current 4545 pass yards allowed is just 251 yards short of the 4,796 record Green Bay posted last season. While they may have to do it without WR Roddy White (Q – Knee) we expect QB Matt Ryan & Co. will do some fine tuning and grab an early lead here. Making a 10% bankroll bet, we’ll back the Falcons at -4 (-110) ATS at SportsBetting.com!