Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will head on the road to take on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday evening (21:25).
The Bucs are 6-6 for the season after toppling the New Orleans Saints last time out, after overturning a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the 49ers have won five-straight games, most recently defeating the Miami Dolphins without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They remain top of the NFC West with a record of 8-4.
Buccaneers @ 49ers Betting Tips
Team News
As mentioned above, the Niners were dealt a devastating blow last week when they lost starter Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending foot injury in the first quarter. He joins Trey Lance on the San Francisco QB treatment table.
The 49ers turned over the reins to rookie QB Brock Purdy, who played well against the Dolphins, completing 25-of-37 passes for 210 yards, two TDs, and an interception, so he will lead the charge against Brady and co. with his first start here.
The Buccaneers will be without Mike Edwards (hamstring) and Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad), while Tristan Wirfs remains absent with ankle problem.
San Francisco 49ers -3.5 Handicap @ 20/21
Even though the 49ers will be starting a rookie quarterback on Sunday, they are still the betting favourite.
In fact, the Niners have covered the -3.5 line in nine of their last 10 games at home, making it a decent punt here.
San Francisco have done an excellent job building a strong offensive line and capable receiving weapons, and in their current 5-game winning streak, they have allowed a total of just 57 points, giving up just over 11 points per game.
The Buccaneers’ win over the Saints showed why you can never write off Tom Brady, however, the 49ers are a completely different monster to New Orleans.
The biggest question mark surrounding this game will be how an inexperienced Brock Purdy plays against a dangerous defence like Tampa Bay’s. Fortunately, he has the support of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, as well as a top-tier defence.
Under 37.5 Points @ 20/23
The reason I’ve gone for under 37.5 points is because both teams have a top-five defence regarding points allowed per game.
The 49ers are better against the run (75.6 rushing yards per game), while the Buccaneers are better against the pass (195.3 passing yards per game).
However, despite the Niners’ offensive weapons, they’re having to trust an inexperienced QB to lead the offense, which will be a stern test against a defence like Tampa Bay’s.
Kyle Shanahan’s side have allowed just 11.4 points per game during their impressive five-game winning streak, so I’m think they will edge a closely-fought contest in Santa Clara.
