The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the New England Patriots, Thursday August 18th, for their second game of the 2011 preseason. The Bucs have won seven of their last eight preseason games against the Pats. NFL oddsmakers have the Buccaneers as -2.5 point home favorites over the Patriots with the over/under set at 36.5 points. Start your 2011 NFL preseason off right by getting your bet on the latest Patriots vs Buccaneers spread available now.
New England (1-0) will show case their starters tonight. Tom Brady and most of his compodres watched from the sidelines, as the Patriots' offense operated at near maximum efficiency in the team's preseason opener against Jacksonville. The star quarterback should now get his chance to take the controls when he makes his expected debut tonight. New England's cast of benchwarmers racked up 476 total yards and 335 through the air en route to a 47-12 rout of the Jaguars. Backup quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett combined to complete 27-of-40 throws on the night, with the rookie Mallett hitting on 12-of-19 passes for 164 yards in an splendid intro to the pros. Chad Ochocinco is slated to see his first game action as a Patriot since his trade from Cincinnati. We’ll have to wait a bit longer for the team's two other notable offseason additions. Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has practiced sparingly in camp for undisclosed reasons, while veteran end and ex-New York Jets Shaun Ellis has yet to be activated from the physically unable to perform list.
Tampa Bay (1-0) is young, athletic, and they really dominated Kansas City last week in the preseason game. They came out aggressive with a high-tempo and won 25-0. Tampa Bay limited the Chiefs to a mere 137 total yards and compiled six sacks on the night, while also forcing and recovering a pair of early fumbles that led to scoring drives. On offense, quarterback Josh Freeman threw for 73 yards on 9-of-13 passing while running for a touchdown in a little over a quarter's worth of action. He and the majority of Tampa Bay's healthy starters figure to be on the field for most of the first half in this contest. Tampa Bay has had the upper hand in its all-time preseason series with the Patriots, winning seven of the eight such meetings between the clubs. The most recent one took place at Raymond James Stadium in 2008, with the Bucs claiming a 27-10 decision.
New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When: Wednesday August 17th@7:30 PM ET
Pick: Patriots +2.5
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The Bottom Line: Brady will get his team off to a fast start and let the backups do the rest. Start your 2011 NFL preseason off right by getting your New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers predictions in now.
