Buccaneers (9-4) @ Falcons (8-5)

By WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

Sunday’s NFC South showdown between Tampa Bay and Atlanta is huge in the wild-card race, and the Bucs might be without their starting quarterback at the Georgia Dome.

Atlanta is a 3-point favorite on WagerWeb.com.

Jeff Garcia was a limited participant in practice all week because of a calf injury. On Thursday the Tampa Bay media was calling Garcia a game-time decision, but on Friday the prognosis got a little bit better.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden said after Friday’s practice that Garcia remains limited by a sore calf muscle, but that his best guess is Garcia, who has won six straight games against the Falcons, will start.

“He didn’t do a lot, but after talking to the trainers and talking to Jeff we think he’ll play,” Gruden said.



Garcia, 37, injured his right calf this week during individual drills, Gruden said. Although it is the same calf Garcia hurt during training camp, it is not the same injury.

Needless to say, Garcia’s mobility will be severely limited if he plays. Luke McCown took the majority of snaps during practice this week and would be the guy over Brian Griese if Garcia has to sit. McCown was 1-2 as a starter last season.

Tampa Bay holds a one-game lead over Atlanta in the wild-card race, with the Falcons tied with Dallas for the final playoff spot, but the Cowboys have the tiebreaker over Atlanta.

If form holds, the Falcons will win Sunday. So far this season, NFC South teams are 10-0 at home in divisional games. The Falcons have already beaten New Orleans and Carolina at the Georgia Dome.

The Bucs are working on a short week after being destroyed by the Carolina running game on Monday night. The Panthers rushed for 299 yards on the once-vaunted Bucs defense (the second-most ever allowed by Tampa), and the Falcons rank second in the league in rushing behind Michael Turner, who leads the league in rushing TDs with 14.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan struggled big time in the teams’ first meeting this year, a 24-9 Bucs victory in Week 2. In that game Ryan was just 13 of 33 with two picks. But Ryan has improved every week, it seems, and is coming off his best game of the season. He completed 24 of 33 passes for a season-high 315 yards passes and one touchdown against the Saints. Since that Bucs game, Ryan has completed at least 51 percent of his passes in every game and has completed more than 70 percent in four games.

The Falcons are 5-1 at the Georgia Dome, where they’re averaging 32.2 points, the highest home mark in franchise history and third-highest in the league. But they have been outscored 92-19 in three straight losses to Tampa Bay overall.

Bet on Bucs @ Falcons