INDIANAPOLIS (0 - 3) at TAMPA BAY (2 - 1)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
INDIANAPOLIS vs. TAMPA BAY
Indianapolis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indianapolis's last 7 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indianapolis
Tampa Bay is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS at TAMPA BAY
INDIANAPOLIS: 39-17 Over Away off SU Loss
TAMPA BAY: 11-3 ATS off home game
Indianapolis is 6-9 as underdogs of 7 or more since 1998
Tampa Bay is 8-17 at home since 2008
Indianapolis SERIES: 3-0 L3... 7-1 Monday... 0-8 non conf dogs vs opp off BB SUATS wins
TAMPA BAY 5-0 Game Four... OCT: 0-9 w/rev vs opp off BB SU losses... 1-6-1 non conf favs 3 > pts... 1-4 Monday
Colts at Buccaneers: What Bettors Need to Know
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10, 40.5)
THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t had a home game on Monday Night Football in eight years. The then-reigning Super Bowl champions played in prime time twice that season, and one of the games was among the most memorable in franchise history – for all the wrong reasons. Tampa Bay gets a chance to avenge possibly the most stunning comeback in league annals when they host the winless Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. The good news for Tampa Bay this time around is the absence of four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning, the primary reason why Indianapolis has a zero in the win column.
ABOUT THE COLTS (0-3): Indianapolis turned in an inspired defensive effort last week, twice erasing deficits before losing to Pittsburgh 23-20 on a last-second field goal. With Manning sidelined for perhaps the season with a neck injury, the Colts’ offense has shown little juice, ranking 14th in the AFC with 46 points. Defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis sparked a unit that harassed Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger into three turnovers. Curtis Painter may get the start at QB after Kerry Collins was knocked out of the game with concussion-like symptoms. One bright spot was RB Joseph Addai, who had 86 yards on 17 carries.
ABOUT THE BUCCANEERS (2-1): Tampa Bay rebounded from a season-opening loss to join New Orleans atop the NFC South. The Buccaneers churned out a 16-13 victory over Atlanta last week in workmanlike fashion, holding the ball nearly 36 minutes while their defense registered four sacks and forced three turnovers. LeGarrette Blount had 81 yards on 24 carries, but the passing game continued to struggle, with QB Josh Freeman throwing for 180 yards and two interceptions. WR Mike Williams is averaging a mere 8.9 yards on 10 catches – down nearly six yards from last season. CB Ronde Barber had an interception and fumble recovery last week.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. In October 2003, the Colts shocked the Bucs with a 38-35 overtime victory, erasing a 35-14 lead with three touchdowns in the last four minutes of regulation. It was the first time in league history a team won after trailing by at least 21 points with four minutes to play.
2. Indianapolis has gone 9-1 in its last 10 games on MNF. Of course, that was with No. 18 under center.
3. With Manning sidelined, Barber is the league’s active leader with 186 consecutive games started. He’s the only player in NFL history with 40 interceptions and 25 sacks.
TRENDS:
The Colts are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six road games vs. teams with winning records and 7-1 ATS in their last eight Monday games. Of course, those all were with Peyton Manning behind center.
The Bucs are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with losing records and 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
On the bad side for Buc backers, the club is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 home games.
The over is 4-1-1 in Tampa Bay's last six home games and 16-7-1 in the club's last 24 games against teams with losing records.
LINE MOVEMENT
Not much to report here. Tampa Bay opened as a 10-point favorite and stayed there pretty much all week. The total has dropped from the opening number of 42. Most shops are now down to 40.5.
PREDICTION: Buccaneers 16, Colts 13. Tampa Bay will ride the running of Blount and its defense to an ugly victory while viewers are left to wonder if “Two and a Half Men” is the story of Indianapolis’ QB situation.
MNF - Colts at Buccaneers
By Kevin Rogers
The Week 4 card concludes at Raymond James Stadium as the Buccaneers go for their third straight victory. The winless Colts invade Tampa Bay on Monday night as Indianapolis tries to find some stability offensively by starting its second quarterback of the season.
Obviously the Colts' offense was set to struggle with Peyton Manning sidelined due to neck surgery, but nobody thought it would turn out like this. Indianapolis has scored 46 points in the first three games, while reaching the end zone just four times (including one defensive score). Kerry Collins led the Colts' attack in each of the three losses against Houston, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, as Indianapolis has been outgained by 148 yards or more twice. The veteran is not be available due to a concussion as former Purdue standout Curtis Painter will make his first career start on Monday night.
Painter faces a Tampa Bay defense that is slowly tightening things up after beating Atlanta last week, 16-13. The Bucs played with double-revenge in that contest after getting swept by the NFC South champions in 2010, while holding the ball for nearly 36 minutes to improve to 2-1. Josh Freeman tossed a pair of interceptions, but the tall Tampa Bay quarterback scampered in from one yard out to give the Bucs their only touchdown of the day.
Raheem Morris' offense has seen the end zone only twice at home this season, as Aqib Talib returned an interception for a touchdown in the opening week loss to Detroit. Both of Tampa Bay's victories have come by three points, including the remarkable comeback at Minnesota in Week 2 as the Bucs rallied from 20-0 down to stun the Vikings, 24-20. The Bucs haven't been a great home team in Morris' tenure, owning a 4-12-1 ATS mark at Raymond James Stadium, but a majority of those losses have come in the underdog role.
The Colts played their best game of the season against the Steelers last Sunday night, cashing as 10½-point home 'dogs in a 23-20 setback. Pittsburgh scored on two big plays on both sides of the ball, while any shot of a cover dashed away with Joseph Addai's game-tying touchdown with two minutes remaining. Indianapolis needs to sure up its defense after allowing Pittsburgh to torch the Colts for 408 yards, including 364 yards through the air from Ben Roethlisberger.
Tampa Bay is in the midst of a tight race in the NFC South, as the Bucs need to grab this victory on Monday before a crucial stretch against San Francisco, New Orleans, and Chicago prior to the bye week. With the Falcons, Eagles, and Bears all starting slow out of the gate, this is the time Tampa Bay can seem like a legit threat to make the NFC playoffs.
It seems like it's all but over for Jim Caldwell's club as the Texans look like the team to bat in the AFC South. The Jets, Steelers, Bills, and Raiders are all going to fight for Wild Card berths, placing the Colts near the back of the line for the playoffs following their slow start. Indianapolis enters dangerous waters by playing four of the next five games away from the RCA Dome, including road trips to Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Tennessee prior to Halloween.
The Bucs are playing under the Monday night lights at home for the first time since 2003 when they picked up a 19-13 win over the Giants. Tampa Bay is 0-3 SU/ATS on Monday night in three appearances over the last six seasons, while being in the spotlight for the first time since a 38-28 loss at Carolina in 2008.
The Colts aren't a Monday night magnet as much as people perceive, as Indianapolis has shown up in the primetime limelight once in each of the last five seasons. It's been a successful wager when backing the Colts in this spot, owning a 4-1 SU/ATS mark, including a 30-17 home triumph of the Texans as 5½-point favorites.
Tampa Bay is listed as 10-point home favorites, while the total is set at 40½. The game is set to kick off at 8:30 PM EST and will be televised nationally on ESPN.