NFL Monday Night Football Preview & Predictions: Buccaneers vs. Chiefs (Week 9)
The undefeated Chiefs will put their flawless record on the line Monday night as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game Tampa needs to win to keep pace with the Atlanta Falcons in their division. Injuries will play a big role in how this game plays out but these are still two talented teams. Let's take a closer look at the matchup in primetime.
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Monday Night Football Betting Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Kansas City remains the only unbeaten team in the league. Their 7-0 record straight up (SU) is unblemished and they've also been great against the spread (ATS) with a 4-2-1 record. Patrick Mahomes and company have flourished in games where they are under a 6-point favorite. In these games, they've compiled a 4-0 ATS record. Unfortunately for Kansas City, they're 0-2-1 when six points or greater favorites like they are on Monday.
Tampa got off to a hot start going 4-2 SU and 4-2 ATS through their first six games, but key injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have resulted in two straight losses. However, Tampa has still been able to score 28.5 points per game in those two contests.
This coupled with a Kansas City offense led by Patrick Mahomes makes the over look like a good play. A closer look tells a different story, though. Yes, Tampa has had success offensively despite their key injuries but they played defenses in Baltimore and Atlanta that rank 18th and 21st, respectively, in DVOA defense. Kansas City is one of the strongest defenses in the league, ranking fifth in the same stat.
This is not a typical Kansas City offense with injuries to key receivers and running backs and an aging Travis Kelce, but they're doing enough to win every week. They haven't been able to cover these big spreads but with the injuries on offense for Tampa, I'm not confident they can do enough, although I lean that way. This feels like an under play on two solid defenses and two ailing offenses.
Picks: Under 46 Points (-112) & Lean Buccaneers +9.5 (-110)
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