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NFL Week 8 Ravens vs Bucs: Thursday Night Football preview, predictions, prop bets, more

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Can Tom Brady get the Bucs back on track against the Ravens?
Carolina Panthers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, right, pressures Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) after a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

After two embarrassing losses, the Tampa Bay Bucs return home to host the similarly frustrating Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. 

Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-4) 

How to Watch:

  • Day: Thursday, October 27th
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Amazon Prime

Betting Stats:

  • MONEYLINE: BAL (-120), TB (+100)
  • SPREAD: BAL -1.5
  • OVER/UNDER: 45

You can’t help but think this game could be the final stand for Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. They could only score 21 total points against the Panthers and Steelers and have fallen below .500. If the Ravens add to their misery, could the Bucs start looking toward 2023?

Matchup:

As I alluded to above, Brady is off to the worst start of his NFL career. He has just eight touchdown passes through seven games, which puts him on track for his lowest output since the year he replaced Drew Bledsoe in New England: 2001.

Brady is also averaging 6.6 yards per pass attempt which is the second-lowest average of his career and just 7.3 intended air yards per attempt, which is his lowest since the stat started being tracked in 2018.

This has led to a pitiful performance by the Bucs, who average just 17.7 points per game, which is second to last in the NFC. Shockingly, last year’s Super Bowl champion Rams are the only team that’s been worse. 

Yes, part of that could be attributed to injuries since the Bucs have had multiple games this year with Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, Cameron Brate, and also one game without Mike Evans, due to suspension. Just this week, their injury report had 12 players on it, including Evans, Jones, Brate, and Gage. In addition, key defensive players Carlton Davis, Antoine Winfield, and Sean Murphy-Bunting all didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday. 

Coming into the year, the biggest concern for the Bucs was their injured offensive line, but Brady has only been sacked 10 times, the least of all full-time NFL quarterbacks. However, the Bucs have been dreadful at running the ball, ranking last in rushing offense at 64.4 yards per game. Leonard Fournette is averaging just 3.5 yards per game with only one touchdown and doesn’t seem like the same runner we saw last season, which has really hurt this Bucs offense. 

The question is can the Ravens capitalize? This is a team that has blown fourth-quarter leads to the Dolphins, Bills, and Giants this season and has a defense that is ranked 23rd overall and just 26th against the pass. If Brady and his pass-catchers are playing for their playoff hopes this season, can the Ravens slow them down?

Lamar Jackson has also struggled a bit for Baltimore. 

He started the season on fire, throwing 10 touchdown passes to just two interceptions while adding 243 rushing yards in Baltimore’s first three games. Since the calendar turns to October, Jackson has just 667 passing yards in four games, adding three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown in the month. 

The Ravens’ offense was also dealt a blow when JK Dobbins was placed on the IR as he continues to recover from knee surgery, but last week saw the return of Gus Edwards, who ran for two touchdowns and 66 yards in his first game since January 2021 following his own devastating injury to his ACL, hamstring, and LCL. 

However, he could find the sledding tougher against a Tampa Bay team that still has a top-10 defense. They remain 7th in yards allowed per play, 3rd in the percentage of drives that end in an opponent’s score, 4th in sacks, and 9th in quarterback pressure rate. If their injured secondary players can get cleared for Thursday, they could help to carry this team to a much-needed victory. 

Staff Picks:

Staff NFL Picks

Top Player Props:

If you’re going to be betting on action besides the spread, here are three player props we like from Thursday night’s game:

Tom Brady Over 275.5 Pass Yds 

We covered above how poor a start to the year this has been for Brady, but he is still averaging over 260 yards passing per game, so this total is not out of reach. Add to that the fact that he’s playing a Ravens secondary that has continuously been beaten through the air, the Bucs’ poor run game, and the importance of this game to Brady and Tampa Bay, and I think you see the veteran come out slinging it. 

Where to bet: Tom Brady over 275.5 passing yards -114 at FanDuel Sportsbook

 

Tom Brady over 38.5 Pass Attempts

See above but just getting in on the attempts side of it as well. 

Where to bet: Tom Brady over 38.5 pass attempts-120 at BetRivers

 

Mike Evans Over 67.5 receiving yards

Mike Evans missed practice on Monday and Tuesday, but he has no injury designation for Thursday’s game, so I expect him to be ready to go. He should have had a long touchdown on Sunday, which would have changed the narrative around his recent play, and that’s simply not a mistake Evans makes a lot. I expect Brady to go back to him and Evans to take advantage of this Ravens secondary. With Julio Jones and Russell Gage out, it should be a lot of Evans and Chris Godwin.  

Where to bet:  Mike Evans over 67.5 receiving yards |-114 at FanDuel Sportsbook

For more NFL coverage, like this Ravens and Bucs preview, visit amNY Sports.com

Can Lamar Jackson and the Ravens beat the Bucs?
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) tries to fend off Cleveland Browns linebacker Deion Jones (54) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)