San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Sports Betting Guide
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The San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping that this is the year that they turn things around and compete for playoff spots in the NFC. However, only one of those teams will be able to start the season on a winning note. The 49ers will travel to face the Buccaneers in Week 1. San Francisco, with Jimmy Garoppolo back under center after he missed almost all of last season, are hoping they can lay the groundwork for becoming a playoff team moving forward. Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay, Bruce Arians takes over the reins believing that he has enough talent to remain in the playoff race late into December. So, which side will begin the regular season on a winning note? Here is a closer look at the matchup heading into Week 1.
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Details
- Opening Line: PICK
- Current Line: Bucs -1
- O/U: 51
- Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Start Time: 4:25 pm ET
- Last Meeting: November 25th, 2018 - Tampa Bay defeated San Francisco 27-9 at Raymond James Stadium
Check out all of our consensus NFL odds for Week 1 >>
Overview
There is certainly a lot of work to do in San Francisco. The 49ers have recorded 12 wins combined over the last three years. They haven't made the playoffs since 2013. However, the return of Jimmy G has sparked plenty of optimism in the Bay area. With Garoppolo under center and head coach Kyle Shanahan calling plays, there is plenty of room for improvement in 2019. The 49ers should be able to score enough points to upset Tampa Bay in Week 1. The only question is whether a defense in transition will be able to make enough stops to secure the victory. With a talented defensive front led by DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, and rookie Nick Bosa, San Francisco is in position to upset the Buccaneers on the road in their season opener.
Arians will have his work cut out for him turning the Buccaneers into contenders. The long road ahead begins with determining whether Jameis Winston is capable of handling the franchise quarterback role. Arians will do his best to maximize Winston's potential and put him in position to succeed in the long run. It will certainly help that he has some elite talents at wide receiver with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin set to line up on the outside. While the offense should do its part this season, the Tampa Bay defense might very well have enough pieces to slow down opponents enough to improve on last year's 5-11 record. The Buccaneers absolutely must capitalize on home-field advantage this season. First up, a close win over the 49ers to begin the season 1-0.
Trends
- The 49ers are just 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games versus NFC opponents overall
- San Francisco is 0-4 ATS in its last four games as the visiting team
- The 49ers didn't win a single game away from home in 2018
- The Buccaneers went .500 at Raymond James Stadium in 2019
- Tampa Bay finished last season on a high note, going 5-1-1 against the spread in its final seven contests
- The Buccaneers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games versus NFC opponents overall.
Bottom Line
Both teams enter the season with optimism but both also have plenty to prove. I don't see a big difference between the teams at this point as the 49ers have the better quarterback but question marks at wide receiver, while the Bucs have questions at quarterback but have plenty of talented wide receivers. The 49ers are traveling across the country in this one, so I'll give a slight edge to Tampa Bay. I see them pulling this out by a field goal.
Pick: Bucs -1
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.