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Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Point spread: Tampa Bay -10
Over/Under: 40.5
The Indianapolis Colts will be searching for their first win this season when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a prime time matchup on Monday Night Football. Kick-off from Raymond James Stadium is set for 8:30 and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
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Peyton Manning’s value to this team has never been more evident as Indianapolis is completely lost without its field general in the lineup. The Colts were somewhat competitive last Sunday night in a 23-20 loss to Pittsburgh as 10.5 home favorites, but the overall numbers paint a bleak future for this team while Manning continues to rehab his surgically repaired neck.
To put Indianapolis’s 0-3 straight-up record (1-2 against the spread) in perspective, it has been outscored by a combined 38 points and is ranked 28th in the league in scoring with an average of 15.3 points a game. The defense is ranked 19th overall, but 29th in points allowed.
Veteran quarterback Kerry Collins was brought in at the last minute to replace Manning, but he has been ineffective and may actually be on the bench on Monday night while still recovering from a concussion he sustained in last week’s game. In his place would be Curtis Painter, who has thrown a total of 39 passes in his three-year NFL career.
Tampa Bay appears to be back on track after an opening-day 27-20 loss to Detroit as a one-point home favorite. It came from 17 points down to beat Minnesota 24-20 in Week 2 as a one-point road underdog and knocked-off division rival Atlanta 16-13 as a one-point home favorite last Sunday to run its record to 2-1 SU and ATS. The total stayed ‘under’ the 46-point line against the Falcons, but went ‘over’ in the first two games.
The Buccaneers still have their issues with an offense that is ranked 22nd overall and a defense that is ranked 24th. Josh Freeman’s numbers are not that bad with 682 yards passing while completing close to 68 percent of his throws, but he has only thrown two touchdowns verse four interceptions.
It is hard to take the Colts’ past trends into consideration for this game, given that they were all compiled with Manning at the helm. If Painter does get the start, then 10 points would appear to be a gift, but Tampa Bay does not seem ready to overwhelm anyone. With a national audience tuning in, Indianapolis’s pride is on the line so while the Bucs get the win, the Colts keep things close enough to cover the spread.
The odds makers have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a -10 point favorite with an over/under of 40.5.
The Pick: Tampa Bay 20 Indianapolis 17
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Indianapolis Colts Betting Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indianapolis’s last 9 games
- Indianapolis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- Indianapolis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Indianapolis is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Trends:
- Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- Tampa Bay is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home
- Tampa Bay is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games at home
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