2021 NFL Playoffs | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Predictions & Picks | Wild Card Weekend

WILDCARD WEEKEND! Tampa Bay Buccaneers preview + ATS/O/U Picks. Rachael van Oranje and Jeff Reinebold preview this matchup and give us their ATS + O/U picks and best bets for this NFL matchup! The Bucs are 8 point favorites. What do you like in this matchup? Let us know! The official https://www.pickswise.com/picks: POINT SPREAD PICK It’s put up or shut up time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not since their Super Bowl win in 2003 have the Bucs won a postseason game, and they have gambled all their marbles on Tom Brady ending that drought in this season. Step one of reaching the playoffs is complete, but now they must take to the road to defeat a Washington Football Team that boasts one of the most ferocious defenses in the league. While the Buccaneers are likely to advance, I can’t see it being nearly as comfortable as the odds suggest. It has been nearly three months since Washington last lost a game by more than a touchdown, and it is yet to happen since Alex Smith took over as quarterback. Head coach Ron Rivera has transformed this team from a joke to one of the toughest units in the NFL, and they will be full of belief that they can come out on top here. The Football Team is riding a wave of momentum right now, having won five of their last seven games. The greatest amount of points a team has scored against them in that period is 20. With another low-scoring defensive battle likely, that makes this 8.5-point head start look huge. Admittedly, the Buccaneers have been red hot on offense lately–averaging more than 40 points in their last three games. But those came against the Falcons and Lions, who respectively allowed the most and third-most passing yards in the league. Playoff Brady is always a scary prospect but he has looked inconsistent at times this year, and getting it done against the defense that has allowed the second-fewest passing yards per attempt is no gimme. Plus, the Bucs have looked vulnerable to tight ends and in the slot–ranking tied for seventh in touchdowns given up to tight ends. That could open the door for a big game from Logan Thomas. This will be a slugfest, and I love getting this many points with Washington. Go with the Football Team. Note: Even if Taylor Heinicke starts under center for Washington, I still like them to keep this one within eight points. GAME TOTALS PICK A lot of what I mentioned above also applies to why I think the under is a great bet. Washington’s defense has been phenomenal over the past couple of months at keeping teams out of the endzone, but the Bucs also boast the toughest run defense in the league. They allowed just 3.6 yards per carry this season, which is the best in the NFL. Tampa should have no trouble pacifying Antonio Gibson, which means it will be up to Smith to get it done through the air. Brady and the Bucs offense have been scoring for fun, but they have come unstuck when they have come against an elite defense. Tampa Bay struggled mightily against the Rams in November and only put three points on the board when they last played the Saints. I don’t think it would be outrageous to put the Washington defense on a similar level. Furthermore, the under has cashed in each of the Football Team’s last five games and in eight of their last 10. Despite Tampa’s immense scoring, the under has also landed in three of their last five. Take the under. #NFL #NFLPicks #WildCardWeekend #ATSPicks #NFLBetting