What a defensive showdown we saw at Raymond James Stadium in Week 8 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blanked the Atlanta Falcons 16–0. Coming off a strong win where they put up 43 points against the Carolina Panthers, the Buccaneers flipped the script here by locking down completely on defence to secure a crucial win.
Both teams entered this contest dead even on 3–5 records in the NFC South, but it was Tampa Bay that made the big plays when it mattered. The numbers coming into this clash showed the Buccaneers averaging 23.2 points across their last five overall, while the Falcons had been posting 31 points over the same stretch. However, neither high-flying attack could find the end zone on this occasion in a gritty, low-scoring arm wrestle.
How the tips went
Looking back at our published selections for this NFC South battle, it was a tough day at the office for the Atlanta side of the ledger. Our head-to-head tip on the Atlanta Falcons at 2.05 resulted in a loss as the offense failed to get on the board.
Similarly, our line selection on the Atlanta Falcons +1.5 at 1.95 also ended in a loss following the 16–0 shutout. That is how the cookie crumbles in the NFL when defenses take over completely. We dust ourselves off and look ahead to the next slate of games!