After being the comeback kings on the road, the Buccaneers finally get a home game. They welcome the Jets to the sunshine state for a 1pm EST kickoff. The Jets, much like seemingly every team in the league this week, will be without their quarterback, Justin Fields, under center. The former Bears first round pick has been ruled out with a concussion. Will that help Baker Mayfield and gang win a game without sweating it our until the last second? Let’s find out.
The Justin Fields exit comes at a brutal time for the Jets. Their offense was the only thing looking formidable on that squad over the first two weeks. They put up some numbers with him under center, but their defense was their undoing. They dropped back-to-back contests to kick off the year and allowed more than 30 points in each of the losses. With Tyrod Taylor taking the snaps this weekend, they’ll have to do a bit better at limiting their opponents to stay in the game.
The Buccaneers are not really the team you want to see with a defense that’s struggling. Baker Mayfield has found himself down late in both of Tampa Bay’s first two games. Then he kicked on the turbo boosters and found a way to kick the offense into overdrive. With as bad as the Jets were against the run last week, it should be easier for Mayfield and gang to play from ahead.
College Football Week 4 Best Bets: Upset Parlay
New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview and Predictions
Baker Mayfield Over 2.5 Touchdowns (+243)
Sure, we’re perhaps getting a little greedy with the line here. You certainly could go find some interesting plays with him at just 1.5 touchdowns. However, if you do that, I think you’re missing a golden opportunity. The Jets have allowed 30+ points in each of the games this season. That’s a minimum of three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have found just one touchdown from their myriad running backs. As a result, look for Baker to torch this defense and try to run away with this thing.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6.5 (-118)
For my Jets-Buccaneers prediction, I like the home squad to cover. They’ve found the offense they need to get it done in the depth of hell two weeks in a row. Now they get the home crowd, home weather, and a team with a swiss cheese defense. Their offense is likely too much for the Jets to keep up with, and that’s even before they had to rely on a backup quarterback to be the one to get it done. Lock in Tampa Bay to put up a gaudy number and win by a score.
