
NFL week 15 has arrived, and there's an NFC South rival matchup featuring the Falcons and Buccaneers.

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Thursday night's matchup will showcase the Atlanta Falcons (4-9, 2-5 away) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6, 3-3 home).
With the over/under total set at 44.5, oddsmakers are predicting an average scoring matchup, possibly on the under side of things. In that case, I'm not expecting touchdowns after touchdown; however, I do have some value bets who will cross the plane tonight.
When we look at the offensive side of things, the Falcons put up the sixth-fewest points per game (19.6 PPG), along with the sixth-fewest touchdowns this season (26). We can chalk it up to injuries on both sides, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is out for the season with a torn ACL. While his season performance was underwhelming anyway, the Falcons once again turn to quarterback Kirk Cousins.
At 7-6, the Buccaneers must stay alive. Veteran receiver Mike Evans could make his return from IR with a fractured collarbone. The Buccaneers have dealt with injuries all season (Evans, Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, Cade Otton, etc.), yet they average 23 points per game.
With Baker Mayfield at the helm, the Buccaneers have totaled 33 total touchdowns this season, which ranks them towards the basement. Luckily for Tampa Bay, Atlanta allows 2.6 touchdowns per game. For the Falcons, the Buccaneers allow opponents to score just shy of three tuddies per game.
Tonight's matchup will air on Amazon Prime Video and will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. Let's take a deeper dive into my three best bets and touchdown scorer predictions for the Thursday, Dec. 11, matchup featuring the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is fighting for the NFC South, while the Falcons have been eliminated from playoff contention. In other words, this is an extremely intriguing matchup.
Tonight I'm rolling with Bijan Robinson, Darnell Mooney, and Emeka Egbuka. Stay tuned for a bonus bet at the end!
All of my bets in this article were made separately within Fanatics and DraftKings Sportsbook.
GP: 17 | Carries: 215 | Rushing Yards: 1,081 | Avg Rushing: 5.0 | Rush TD: 5 | Rec TD: 2 | Rush Long: 81 | First Down: 48 | Receiving yards: 602 | Receiving TD: 2 | Receiving long: 24
My first best bet for Thursday, I placed one unit on Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to score a touchdown.
Considered one of the most powerful running backs in the NFL, Robinson is on pace for a career year. With over 1,000 rushing yards, he's compiled quite a number of scrimmage yards. His 602 receiving yards are a career-high amid quarterback injuries.
There's not much to play for considering the Falcons have been eliminated from playoff contention, and Robinson's odds have slipped in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year conversation.
Lately, Raheem Morris is very much trying to split carries between Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Given Allgeier has scored four touchdowns over the last five games, is Robinson no longer the top dog?
It's true that Allgeier has been more of a dominant red zone threat this year, outscoring Bijan eight touchdowns to seven.
While it was a slow start for the running back, Bijan has scored three touchdowns over the past four outings, including two against the Panthers. Over the last two weeks, he's outshined with 43 carries over Allgeier's 19. Last week, Bijan played 67 % of snaps, while Allgeier played just 39 %.
Robinson was much more effective in the backfield with Penix Jr. under center, but should see increased volume with Cousins at quarterback. After all, he's fourth in rush yards (1,081), third in yards after contact (773), and second in YAC (585).
Now he gets a Buccaneers defense that ranks No. 6 in defensive rush DVOA, but allows the sixth-most touchdowns to running backs.
Cracking just outside the top ten in red zone rushing leaders, Robinson boasts a 43 touch % inside the 20. Over the season, he's rushed for 79 yards on 29 attempts for four touchdowns. While he's very much a red zone threat, we all know Bijan is an explosive running back who can gain yardage. We all remember the 81-yard touchdown against the Bills, right?
Over the last two weeks, we've seen Devin Neal, Bam Night, and Ty Johnson score a touchdown against the Bucs. Not to mention, the Buccaneers' defense has allowed 13 rushing and receiving touchdowns to backs this year.
Tonight isn't a question of when the Falcons score a touchdown on the ground, but who? In the season opener, Bijan recorded just 24 yards on 12 carries in the 23-20 loss against the Buccaneers. In five career games against Tampa, he's recorded three touchdowns and 185 yards.
GP: 11 | REC: 22 | Targets: 54 | Receiving Yards: 329 | Touchdown: 1 | Long: 49
My second-best bet for Thursday night, I placed one unit on Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney to score a touchdown.
Now in his sixth NFL season, and second with Atlanta, Mooney finished just shy of 1,000 receiving yards last season. Now he gets a chance against a Buccaneers defense that's given up 11 touchdowns to receivers on the season.
Darnell Mooney is the No.1 receiver in Atlanta after Drake London has been ruled out with a knee injury. Aforementioned, it's been a tumultuous season in the ATL, which lost Michael Penix Jr. and will have to lean on Kirk Cousins. Who knows, perhaps tonight will be one of those "You like that?" games from Cousins.
The Falcons may have been eliminated from the playoffs, but they aren't going to go away quietly, especially given that this is a division rival matchup. With one lone touchdown on the season, Mooney was bottled up for just six yards against the stingy Seahawks defense last week! Defeated 37-9, it was tight end Kyle Pitts who surprisingly led the way with 90 receiving yards on six receptions.
Mooney doesn't have a light matchup tonight; he'll face cornerback Jamel Deal. However, there's incredible value at +350 for Mooney to score a touchdown, and injuries have slowed his production this season.
While David Sills V remains a top touchdown option for Atlanta, I'm taking Mooney, who played 96 and 77 percent of snaps over the last two weeks. He already has chemistry with Cousins, and the Buccaneers allow the sixth-most touchdowns to receivers. With that said, Tampa hasn't given up a single touchdown to WR1s in six weeks.
A reliable option with five touchdowns last season, Mooney's only touchdown came three weeks ago against the Saints. With 19 targets and nine receptions over the last four games, Mooney should be one of Cousins' top options. With Cousins at quarterback, Mooney has tallied 1,067 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 20 games.
GP: 13 | REC: 54 | Targets: 110 | Receiving Yards: 806 | Touchdown: 6 | Long: 77
My third-best bet for tonight, I placed one unit on Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka to score a touchdown. It's a corporate, popular pick, but I love the value at +190 odds.
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' offense haven't quite figured it out, mainly due to injuries. Egbuka is certainly still in the race for the NFL Rookie of the Year (+600) race behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jaxson Dart. He's also been a mainstay for Mayfield and a healthy, reliable option.
Mike Evans and Jalen McMillian are expected back, which gives Mayfield all the weapons to work with. Plus, Chris Godwin Jr. has returned and is fully healthy. Of course, this impacts Egbuka's touchdown and production odds. Or does it?
Boasting six touchdowns and 806 receiving yards, Egbuka led all Buccaneers' receivers with two touchdowns and 67 receiving yards in Tampa's week one 23-20 victory over the Falcons. Mind you, that was with Evans, Cade Otton, and Sterling Sheppard in the lineup.
It's unclear if Evans or McMillan will be held on a snap count, but Egbuka led all receivers with an 88 % snap count last week. While Godwin Jr.'s snap count is increasing by the week, he played just 69 % of snaps against the Saints.
Today is a must-win for the Buccaneers, who lead the division alongside the Carolina Panthers. Sure, Mayfield has all his weapons back, but why not trust your rookie receiver who's been a proven scoring machine all year?
Yes, I'm aware Egbuka had a crucial drop last week and has had some inconsistent weeks. And I won't pretend he hasn't scored a touchdown in four weeks. However, his only multi-touchdown game came against the Falcons. Not only did Atlanta give up a pair of touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in week 14, but they gave up multiple tuddies to Tetairoa McMillan. Over the last seven games, they've given up 10 touchdowns to receivers.
