Steve Starr
- BetOnline has the Philadelphia as 7-point road underdogs to the 4-1 Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football
- Jalen Hurts and the Eagles engineered a 21-18 comeback victory against the Panthers on Sunday to improve to 2-3 on the season
- Oddsmakers have set the game total for this Week 6 matchup at 51.5 points
Tom Brady leads the league with 1,767 passing yards after throwing for 411 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Miami in Week 5. While the 44-year-old is reportedly dealing with an injured right thumb, he is expected to be ready to go for Thursday Night Football against the Eagles.
Both of Philadelphia’s victories have come against NFC South opponents, but the Super Bowl champions in Tampa Bay are 7-point road favorites in the Week 6 matchup. Before we dive into the matchup and make our picks, here’s where you can find tips and advice for betting on NFL football games and get the latest NFL MVP futures.
Thursday Night Football
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -7.0 (-105) | -315 | Ov 51.5 (-110) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +7.0 (-115) | +265 | Un 51.5 (-110) |
Eagles vs Buccaneers
After trailing Carolina 15-6 at the half, the Eagles eked out a 21-18 comeback win thanks to two rushing touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts and the relentless pressure their defense put on Sam Darnold, who finished 21 of 37 for 177 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
The Patriots showed it’s possible to slow down the Buccaneers high-octane attack last Sunday night. However, it’s questionable if Philadelphia’s defense will provide much resistance given they surrendered a combined 83 points against the Cowboys and Chiefs in Weeks 3 and 4.
For the first time in his career, Tom Brady has produced 400+ pass yards & 5+ TD in a single game.
Reminder: he’s 44 and it’s his 22nd season. pic.twitter.com/yXRhMfFM5E
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 10, 2021
Tom Brady went 15-for-18 with three touchdowns after hitting his hand on a Dolphins helmet in Sunday’s bloodbath so we shouldn’t expect the injury to slow him down on Thursday night. He hasn’t missed a contest due to injury since 2008, a span of more than 200 games including the playoffs.
Amazingly, Tampa’s 45-point explosion against Miami was the club’s fifth game of 44+ points since Brady joined the franchise last season. The Bucs needed 44 years of existence (1976-2019) to accumulate the franchise’s first five game of 44 or more points scored.
Thursday Night Football Best Bets
Bet the UNDER on 51.5 points. After throwing the ball all over the yard against Miami, the Bucs may give Brady’s ailing thumb and aging arm a rest in this one. Expect heaping helpings of Leonard Fournette versus Philadelphia’s 30th-ranked rushing defense, which is allowing 142 rushing yards per game.
On the other end of things, it’s questionable if Hurts has the accuracy to make Tampa’s injury-riddled secondary pay. And he will find it difficult to pile up yards on the ground against a Bucs D permitting just 45.8 rushing yards per game.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is the ONLY QB in NFL History with 2000+ yards passing and 400+ rushing yards in their 1st 8 starts of a career#Eagles #JalenHurts pic.twitter.com/F9cWI18QaY
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) October 10, 2021
Buccaneers to cover 7-point spread. Stopping Sam Darnold is not the same as stopping Tom Brady. On a short week following a hard-fought comeback victory, the Eagles D is more likely to resemble the unit that was carved up by Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott than the one that held Carolina in check in Week 5.
Final Score Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Philadelphia 20.
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