NFL Week 8 Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings
Thursday, 10/25/12, 8:20 PM EST, TV: NFL Network
Opening Point Spread: Minnesota -6
Current Betting Line: Minnesota -6.5
Opening Total: 43
Current Total: 43
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Bucs vs. Lions NFL Game Preview — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost nine straight road games

Tampa Bay is 2-4 on the season and has lost all of its games by a touchdown or less, including a 35-28 setback to the New Orleans Saints as one-point home underdogs last week, while the team has gone OVER the total in three consecutive games. The Buccaneers offense has managed to come alive after their bye week, especially quarterback Josh Freeman, who has thrown for 748 yards and six touchdowns with a single interception in the last two weeks. Tampa Bay is 5-0 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points the last two-plus years, with the UNDER going 4-1 in that situation.

The Buccaneers have won five straight games in this series, but they’ve lost nine consecutive contests on the road by an average of 18.2 points per game. Tampa Bay could snap that string of defeats due to possessing a defense that ranks third in the league in allowing just 76.0 rushing yards per game. Running back Doug Martin will need to continue building on his experience as rookie, entering this game with 553 total yards of offense.

Minnesota owns a 5-6 record in Thursday night games, as it looks to win its fifth game in a matter of six weeks. The Vikings escaped with a 21-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals as seven-point home favorites despite getting out-gained by 147 yards. Despite the team’s 5-2 mark through seven games, quarterback Christian Ponder has come under a lot of heat, as he managed to throw for a season-low 58 yards last week. Minnesota is 1-8 ATS when playing with a total between 35.5 and 42 points since 2010.

The Vikings have some dynamic players on offense, with wide receiver Percy Harvin ranking second in the NFL with 53 receptions, while running back Adrian Peterson has registered 29 career 100-yard games in his career. Minnesota is 18-8 all-time in this series when playing at home, but hasn’t picked up such a victory since 2001. On the defensive end, Jared Allen has recorded a sack in five straight games.