by Ben Perks
Two vastly different quarterbacks face each other this week when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady outshone Jalen Hurts in Week 5 of the NFL by throwing five touchdowns for the Bucs, whereas Hurts didn’t have any passing touchdowns for the second time in four weeks. However, Hurts did find the endzone twice with his legs, so both QBs could lay their mark when the Buccaneers play the Eagles this Thursday. Get insights and the latest odds for this thrilling football matchup.
Bovada and other online sportsbooks have the Bucs as -310 favorites against the Eagles. After the brutal beating Tampa Bay gave the Dolphins last week, it seems that oddsmakers are giving the Buccaneers more respect.
Although the Eagles are +225 underdogs, they will fancy their chances this Thursday. Philadelphia is now 2-3, which puts them in second place in the National Football Conference East behind the Dallas Cowboys, who are 4-1 at the moment. Therefore, they will have much-needed confidence going into the game. Despite this, Tampa Bay’s quality should be enough to beat the Eagles.
Brady’s on Fire
The Buccaneers powerfully dismantled the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. Tampa Bay’s quarterback Tom Brady continued his dominance by completing 30 of 41 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns in the 45-17 destruction of Miami. Brady threw multiple touchdowns to both Mike Evans and Antonio Brown last week. The veteran quarterback is now the NFL leader of passing yards table with 1,767 and narrowly has the second-most touchdown passes with 15 (Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City is the current leader with 16).
Incredibly, the 44-year-old is on track to become the first QB to surpass 6,000 passing yards in a season. Brady has been productive and efficient with a 15:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Many NFL futures bettors believe the Californian will build upon these impressive stats when facing an Eagles’ defense that has leaked nine passing touchdowns in the last three games.
Can the Eagles Rely on Their Defense?
Philadelphia picked up a solid rebound win last week over the Carolina Panthers against the odds. Quarterback Jalen Hurts scored two rushing touchdowns in the Eagles’ narrow 21-18 victory. Yet, Philadelphia owes its success to its defense. The Eagles’ backline stepped up to force Panthers’ quarterback Sam Darnold into throwing three interceptions. However, this performance wasn’t without its flaws, as Carolina’s running back Chuba Hubbard was still able to run for 101 yards.
It’s also worth noting that the defense has looked shaky in previous weeks. The backline allowed Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys to run for 95 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3. Also, Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the Kansas City Chiefs was able to run for 102 yards in Week 4. Therefore, the Eagles need to bring their defensive a-game to stand any chance against Tom Brady, Giovanni Bernard, and co. on Thursday.
Last Ten Meetings Between the Buccaneers and the Eagles
- 09/16/2018 Philadelphia Eagles 21 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
- 11/22/2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45 @ Philadelphia Eagles 17
- 10/13/2013 Philadelphia Eagles 31 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
- 12/09/2012 Philadelphia Eagles 23 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
- 10/11/2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 @ Philadelphia Eagles 33
- 10/22/2006 Philadelphia Eagles 21 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23
- 09/08/2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 @ Philadelphia Eagles 0
- 01/19/2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 @ Philadelphia Eagles 10
- 10/20/2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 @ Philadelphia Eagles 20
- 01/12/2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 @ Philadelphia Eagles 31
Get the latest odds for every NFL Week 6 matchup.
Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
