One team wants to keep going. The other wants to lose momentum. Will desperation win out over momentum when Denver (0-2) visits Tampa Bay (2-0)?
Because of their record and the fact that Tampa is playing at home, the Buccaneers are clear favorites to beat the Broncos. Let’s look at our prediction, odds and best bet for the Broncos vs. Bucs game in NFL Week 3.
Our prediction for the game Broncos vs. Buccaneers
Choose: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6.5 (-115 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook)
That this is a potential sandwich spot for Tampa Bay, as described below, is worth considering. On the other hand, the Bucs’ veteran leadership may be strong enough not to let that hinder them.
Tampa Bay played strong defense throughout the win in Detroit, and the Broncos don’t have nearly the firepower of the Lions.
Read my detailed analysis of Week 3’s matches below.
NFL Week 3 Broncos vs. Buccaneers Odds
This is a common scenario in NFL betting, so choosing your online sportsbook is important. If you want to bet on the Broncos, you’ll want to find a sportsbook that offers Denver +7. If you want to bet on the Bucs, you’ll want to look for a bookie that offers Bucs -6.5.
Tampa Bay has a 2-0 record against the spread. The Bucs won by 17 points as 4-point favorites in Week 1 and won in Detroit last weekend as 7.5-point underdogs.
Denver is 1-1 ATS. The Broncos lost by six points as 6.5-point underdogs at Seattle in Week 1. They lost by seven points to Pittsburgh as 2.5-point underdogs in Week 2.
Both teams played 1 over and 1 under.
Why Tampa Bay could win as favorite
This is one of the easier paths to victory in the entire NFL Week 3 schedule.
The Bucs have a proven quarterback and better players on offense. They are also playing at home and have already shown how good they are with their road win against the Lions.
The defense hasn’t necessarily been outstanding, but Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix hasn’t shown the ability to consistently drive the offense.
Why Denver could win as an underdog
This could be a rough week for the Broncos. Their best chance to win is probably if the Bucs’ performance drops after last week’s big win over Detroit.
Tampa also has to play Philadelphia next week – a rematch of one of last season’s NFC Wild Card playoff games – so this could be considered a sandwich spot for Tampa.
Denver’s defense has been decent so far, managing two turnovers in the first half of their season opener against Seattle. The Broncos took advantage of that to take a halftime lead before Seattle caught up in the second half.
In the NFL, turnovers are often game-changing, so a few turnovers early on could cause the Bucs to tense up and weaken their performance.
