Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona Cardinals 2010 NFL Picks, 2010 NFL Odds & 2010 NFL Predictions: The upstart Buccaneers are on the road today to face the barely treading water Cardinals. This afternoon's NFC showdown is scheduled to get underway at 4:15pm ET at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale (FOX). 2010 NFL Picks, Odds & Predictions at Sportsbook.com have Arizona listed as a -3 against the spread home favorite; the Over/Under is set at 39.5.
It is difficult to say just how good the 4-2 Buccaneers are given that they have been blasted by 
their two best foes (Pittsburgh 38-13 and New Orleans 31-6), but suffice it to say that they are a much improved ball club from a season ago.
The big reason for the turnaround? Well, their are actually two. Tampa Bay's defense, while still a work in progress, has shown major improvement in the secondary, yielding just 196.2 yards per game through the air (sixth best in the league). That number may be skewed somewhat by the fact that teams love to run against the Bucs and do so with great success; however, it cannot be denied that young players like Aqib Talib are helping make a difference.
The second reason is the play of second year quarterback Josh Freeman. Freeman's 82.8 passer rating is not great, but it is respectable. More importantly, though, is the fact that Freeman has emerged as a leader on the field. The Kansas State product, who has seven touchdowns to three interceptions, has engineered three comeback wins this year, including last week's 18-17 triumph over the Rams.
In this writer's opinion, it is far easier to evaluate the Cardinals than the Bucs, despite the fact that the two teams have just one games difference in their respective records. It is borderline amazing that Arizona has three wins at this point in the season based upon their play, which should it continue as such will probably result in the Cards posting a maximum of six victories.
Yes, the veneer is coming off and what's underneath is hardly a thing of beauty. The Cardinals rank dead last in the league in yards per game at 237.8 and they rank 27th in yards per game allowed at 368.7. Arizona is also -7 in turnover margin on the season, making their record through seven games (3-4) all the more miraculous.
Ken Whisenhunt is a proven winner, but this team is in rebuild mode, even with the NFC West title completely up for grab.
NFL Picks Betting Trend: The Cardinals are 4-0 straight up and against the spread over the last five years as a home favorite coming off a loss with a spread between 0 and 3.5.
Sportsbook.com Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Arizona Cardinals 2010 NFL Picks, Odds & Predictions:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 (-105), Over 39.5 (-110), +140 (Moneyline)
Arizona Cardinals -3 (-115), Under 39.5 (-110), -200 (Moneyline)
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