‘TNF’ betting: Sharp money moves side, total on Falcons-Buccaneer
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Sharp bettors and the betting public are banking on the Buccaneers to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to the Saints on “Thursday Night Football.”
Support for Tampa Bay has caused it to climb to a consensus 5½-point home favorite over the Falcons. The line was still at 5 on Thursday morning at the South Point sportsbook.
“All the early money is on the Buccaneers. We opened 4 and are up to 5½,” Boomer’s Sportsbook director of trading Nick Bogdanovich said. “I’d classify it more sharp, but definitely think the public will be on Tampa as well.
“Atlanta’s eliminated, and Tampa’s playing for their (playoff) lives, so the motivational factor favors Tampa pretty good. They’re getting some pieces back, so I can understand why it’s going up.”
The Buccaneers (7-6), tied for the NFC South division lead with the Panthers (7-6), are expected to get wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan back. Tampa Bay beat Atlanta (4-9) 23-20 and covered as a 1½-point favorite in Week 1.
At STN Sports, 81 percent of the tickets are on the Buccaneers.
“The number continues to trend up,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “The Bucs, with Evans, (running back Bucky) Irving and McMillan back, seem to be getting healthy at the right time, and it’s a must-win game for them with the two games against the Panthers coming up.”
Tampa has lost four of its past five games while going 0-5 ATS. The Falcons have lost seven of eight while going 3-5 ATS. The past five meetings have been decided by six points or fewer.
“The line opened Tampa Bay -5½. Some initial sharp play on Atlanta to get it to 4½, and now sharp play on Tampa Bay -4½ to get us back to -5½,” Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said. “Currently need Tampa Bay small, but by game time, with public favorite support expected, that should lessen the current position.”
The total is 43½. Sherman reported sharp play on under 44½ to lower the number to 44 on Thursday morning and then to 43½.
Atlanta, which lost 37-9 last week to the Seahawks, is on a 5-1 over run, and 63 percent of the wagers on the total at STN Sports are on the over.
