TNF Stats, Trends, and Best Bets
For those of you that like the betting stats and trends I have those listed below. After that I give you my thoughts on the games plus my personal bets.
BUCS AT FALCONS
CURRENT ODDS: ATL -2.5
TICKETS: 72% ON TB
MONEY: 77% ON TB
STATS/TRENDS:
- Baker Mayfield has only played on the road on Thursday Night Football once which was last year in a 24-18 loss to the Bills as a 10-pt underdog (hey he covered)
- Overall Baker is 2-1 SU/ATS on Thursday Night Football and 7-4 ATS in his career on short rest, covering the spread in five straight regular season games on short rest.
- As an underdog on short rest, Baker is 5-2 ATS
- Baker has lost his last five regular season night starts ATS
- Over the last three seasons, the under is 21-12 when Baker Mayfield is one of the starting QBs in the game.
- Against divisional opponents, Baker is 9-8 ATS on the road.
- Todd Bowles coached teams have struggled recently on short rest, going 1-7 SU dating back to the start of the 2018 season.
- Can Kirk do it again? In Cousins' career, he has started 43 games in primetime – which are high profile games, night, playoffs, overseas, Saturday, etc. – and is 18-24-1 SU, 17-26 ATS. At night, he is 13-20 SU, 14-19 ATS.
- Cousins is 8-4 SU (5-7 ATS) in primetime in his last 12 starts, but covering the spread has been issue: 3-7 ATS in his last 10 primetime starts.
- In his career, Cousins has made 21 home starts in primetime, he is 10-11 SU, 7-14 ATS – but he is 5-2 SU in his last 7 home primetime starts.
- Over the last 5 seasons, Kirk Cousins is 14-27 ATS playing indoor games, including 1-10 ATS in his last 11 games indoors.
- Since 2020, Cousins is last of 87 QBs ATS playing indoor games. Cousins is 11-22 ATS at home since 2020, which is the least profitable mark of 102 QBs in that span.
- Kirk Cousins just doesn’t enjoy night games. Here are his W/L splits.
- 1p ET or earlier: 59-33-2 SU (64%)
After 1p ET: 20-39 SU (34%)
- 1p ET or earlier: 59-33-2 SU (64%)
- The Falcons last had a player with 10 sacks back in 2016 when Vic Beasley had 15.5 sacks. Since 2017, Atlanta has been the only team in the NFL without a 10-sack season by any player.
- Through four games, Matthew Judon and Grady Jarrett both have just 1.5 sacks.
- Since the start of 2020, the Falcons are 6-18-1 ATS after a SU win, the worst mark in the NFL ahead of the Seahawks and Saints.
- The Falcons are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games after a SU win.
- In Kirk Cousins’ career, he is 30-43-2 ATS (41.1%) after a SU win, including 12-21-1 ATS (36.4%) at home, the 2nd-worst mark ATS in the last 20 years of 201 QBs ahead of just Jay Cutler.
- Cousins has had to play on short rest off a SU win nine times, he is 3-6 SU/ATS.
- In divisional games where both teams are on short rest, favorites and road teams have had the advantage ATS – with favorites 97-79-5 ATS and road teams 99-76-5 ATS last 20 years.
- Thursday home teams are just 39-52 ATS since 2019, including 35-46 ATS in night Thursday games.
- Bowles is 49-53-5 ATS (48%) in his coaching career. He’s 15-7 ATS with Baker Mayfield and 34-46-5 ATS with all other QBs.
- Bucs are off a win as underdogs last week. Since 2003, teams coming off a SU win as dogs, who are on short rest the next week are just 96-125-10 ATS (43%).
MY THOUGHTS/BETS:
- This game is too close to call. As you can see from the stats and trends above, you can make a case either way.
- One thing that does stand out to me is the Bucs have 77% of the money on them yet the line has moved from ATL -1.5 to ATL -2.5 which tells me Vegas isn't afraid of the Bucs money coming in on them.
- I do like an anti correlated parlay of Baker over 1.5 passing TDs but ATL to win and cover. Not saying I love ATL tonight but if they do have a lead I see TB passing the ball and Baker could get to 2 passing touchdowns and the value on that is worth a bet to me.
- Kickers have been money this season in the NFL, especially these two. I see these defenses bending but not breaking tonight so we should have a good shot at getting FG opportunities. The odds agree with that as ATL over 1.5 FGs is -169 and TB over 1.5 FGs is -161.
- I do think TB is a good teaser leg getting them up to +8
- Here are my bets for the game:
- SGP: Baker over 1.5 passing TDs / ATL -2.5 at +400
- Parlay both kickers over 1.5 FGs made at +158
- SGP: Godwin over 62 rec yards / Bucky under 46.5 rush yards / TB over 1.5 FGs at +375
- Both teams score over 19.5 points: YES at +145