2011 Monday Night Football Picks & Predictions: Colts vs. Bucs Week 5
By Anthony Rome
(The Spread) – The Bucs will look to build off of their impressive win last Sunday when they host the Colts on Monday Night Football tonight.
NFL Odds: Oddsmakers have installed the Bucs as 10-point favorites over the Colts for tonight’s game, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 40 points. Tampa Bay enters the contest with a 2-1 record while Indianapolis is still searching for its first victory of the season.
Line Movement: The line has moved slightly throughout the week but has pretty much stayed steady. The Bucs opened as a 10-point favorite at the Las Vegas Hilton and while the line dipped to 9.5 early in the week and 10.5 late, it’s back to Tampa Bay –10. It’ll likely stay at that number leading up to kickoff. The total opened at 42 but is now down to 40, presumably because neither team has any firepower offensively.
Public Betting: Of the 50,000-plus wagers on today’s game, 53% of NFL public bettors currently favor the Bucs –10. This information is subject to change leading up to kickoff, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most up-to-date NFL public betting numbers.
NFL Week 4 Free Pick: Take Tampa Bay. Curtis Painter may have surprisingly been able to move the ball last Sunday against the Steelers but he’s 13-of-39 (33.3 percent) for 143 yards and has a 0:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s also taken four sacks and has lost three fumbles, so don’t expect him to play with any consistency. Ten points seems like a lot to give up with a Tampa team that lacks explosion on offense but Painter should give the Bucs plenty of opportunities to score. According to latest NFL trends, the Bucs are 6-1-1 against the spread versus a team with a losing record and 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Meanwhile, the Colts are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win and 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall. Look for the Bucs to build off of their impressive win over the Falcons last Sunday with another victory tonight.
2011 NFL WEEK 4 FREE PICK: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -10