The New York Jets held on for a win against the Jaguars in Week 16 but face a much more experienced opponent in Week 17. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, although a little beaten up, will give the Jets a lot more to think about. With the regular season coming to an end, let’s take a look at the New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 17 matchup and make an NFL betting pick and prediction.
New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick, prediction | Week 17
- Spread: Bucs -13 (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Moneyline: Bucs -720, Jets +500
- Over/Under: 46
Jets face uphill climb against Tom Brady and the Bucs
The Jets squeezed out the win against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in Week 16 to give them their first win in four weeks. Rookie Zach Wilson had his best trademark play so far in his short career. He took off on a scramble, resulting in a 52-yard rushing TD. That said, the tackling from the Jaguars’ defense was more than suspect on the play, and the Bucs team they face in Week 17 will not take the same approach on those kind of plays.
[bet-promo id=”160605″ ]The Jets have done some good things this season. Of the teams with a poor record, they’ve shown the most promise in spurts. Their roster is far from where it needs to be, and despite the injuries to the Bucs, they still go into this one a 13-point underdog.
Bucs to take precautions before the offseason begins?
With the division title and accompanying playoff spot already locked in, I can’t help but wonder how many risks the Bucs will take to try and catch the Green Bay Packers for the No. 1 seed. Receiver Mike Evans was placed on the COVID list, but he could clear protocols before the Jets matchup on Sunday. But will Tampa Bay force him back in against the Jets, especially given that hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle?
The Bucs are currently the No. 4 seed. While they could look to better their playoff position over the next two weeks, it doesn’t make sense to force any of their pivotal talents back before the postseason.
Tampa Bay lost Chris Godwin for the season and placed Leonard Fournette on IR. Additionally, they are iffy with Evans. All three guys sustained injuries in the Bucs’ shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15, and it’s proving problematic.
Tom Brady might run with the second group of pass catchers and pull out wins against the Jets and the Panthers. Nonetheless, that might be more of a problem against a No. 2 or 3 seed in the playoffs.
Jets vs. Buccaneers betting trends
The Jets have had two solid performances in a row, covering both the spread and the over in games against the Jaguars and the Dolphins. While they might not be dominating teams, they’ve been in both games (and got the win against Jacksonville). Considering they’ve only covered five spreads all season, a streak of two is quite an improvement for them.
The Buccaneers have covered in five of their last six, the only odd one out being the goose egg against the New Orleans Saints a couple of weeks back. Tampa is 8-7 against the spread for the season and 7-8 on overs. It’s worth noting they’ve only hit the over once in their last four outings, as things have slowed down for them offensively.
Jets vs. Buccaneers prediction
The Bucs’ defense is the difference in this one. I’d expect them to force at least one takeaway, and Todd Bowles and his talented group will make things very difficult for Wilson. It might be a “back to reality” week for the rookie QB after a good performance against the Jags. The 13-point spread is heavy, though, considering all the pieces the Bucs are missing.
However, I still think the Bucs will cover it similarly to the outcome against the Panthers. If the defense continues to force punts and the turnover of possession, Brady will score points eventually, no matter who his receivers and backs are (unless he’s playing the Saints, apparently). The Jets’ defense is not what the Saints’ defense is. Brady’s offense will score 30 points in this game, and I think they’ll squeeze in the over, too.
Jets vs. Buccaneers Score Prediction: Bucs 34, Jets 13