Can Raheem Morris lead Atlanta Falcons to division win at home?
The Thursday Night Football game could be a good one this week as the Atlanta Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a NFC South battle for first place. Former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has the Falcons at 2-2 while the Buccaneers have looked like one of the better teams at 3-1.
It’s only Week 5, but the winner of this game will have a nice advantage in what has turned out to be a very competitive NFC South. This is exactly why the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins while the Buccaneers are building off of last year’s success. Baker Mayfield continues to play with confidence in Liam Coen’s offense.
Last week, the Falcons got a win on a last second field goal against the New Orleans Saints. Cousins threw for 238-yards while it was the defense and special teams getting in the end zone. The Falcons can’t expect that to happen every week.
On the other side, the Buccaneers have impressive wins against the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions. However, they have one loss at home to the Denver Broncos, they bounced back last week with a win at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Baker Mayfield baked with 347 yards and two touchdowns. The Buccaneers defense also created all sorts of issues for Jalen Hurts.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Falcons are only 2.5-point favorites on the road. Given that the Falcons are the home team and it’s on a short week, that is a favorable Buccaneers line. While division games on the road are tough, the Falcons have lost four of their last five matchup at home against the Buccaneers, including a 29-25 loss last year. My head says to go with the Falcons at home, but my gut is saying that Vegas likes the Buccaneers and to roll with Baker.
The Pick: Buccaneers (+2.5)
Season Record: 8-6
