Bucs vs. WFT: Odds, Stat Predictions for 2021 NFC Wild Card Game

Tom Brady won 30 playoff games, nine conference championships and six Super Bowl titles during the first 20 years of his NFL career, but those all came with the New England Patriots. Now, the veteran quarterback will look to lead another franchise to postseason success.

His Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to go on the road to face the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. ET in an NFC Wild Card Round matchup.

The Bucs went 11-5 and earned the top wild-card berth in the conference, while Washington won the NFC East despite finishing 7-9, which is why it has home-field advantage as the No. 4 seed for this contest.

Although Washington's offense ranked 30th in the NFL this season with 317.3 total yards per game, its defense ranked second in the league with 304.6 total yards allowed per game. So, Brady and Tampa Bay's offense could face a challenge from that defensive unit.

Here's a look at the odds for this Wild Card Round contest, followed by stat predictions for several key players in the matchup.

Current Odds

Danny Karnik/Associated Press

Spread: Tampa Bay (-8)

Over/Under: 44.5 points

Moneyline: Tampa Bay -375 (bet $375 to win $100); Washington +310 (bet $100 to win $310)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

Brady Poised for Strong Showing in First Playoff Start with Bucs

Al Goldis/Associated Press

Brady has always been a strong quarterback, but he's been known to take his game to another level in the playoffs. And even though he's going up against a tough Washington defense, there are reasons to think it won't be able to slow down the future Hall of Famer.

Washington hasn't faced many offenses with as many talented playmakers as Tampa Bay's unit. It will have to try to find ways to shut down wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown and tight end Rob Gronkowski in the passing game, along with running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette. The Bucs' offense ranked seventh in the NFL in total yards per game (384.1).

Evans will be a game-time decision due to a hyperextended left knee, but Brady has plenty of other strong targets to throw to.

The 43-year-old also has momentum from a terrific finish to the regular season, when he ended with back-to-back four-touchdown games. And over the past three weeks, he's passed for 1,137 yards.

Although Brady may not have as much success as he did against the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions in recent weeks, expect another strong playoff performance. He's likely to lead the Bucs to victory, and he should build some solid numbers while doing so.

Stat Prediction: 289 yards and three touchdowns

Young Likely to Keep Finding Ways to Make Impact

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Only 16 games into his NFL career, Chase Young has already made it known he's likely to be one of the league's top pass-rushers for many years to come.

The rookie defensive end had 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four pass deflections for Washington in the regular season.

Even when Young wasn't recording stats, he was making an impact by causing disruption in opponents' backfields, putting pressure on quarterbacks and forcing teams to utilize two offensive linemen to try to block him. His performance is likely even better than Washington expected when it selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Buccaneers are likely going to have a solid offensive showing, but Young will still make it tough on them. Brady isn't a mobile quarterback, so if the 21-year-old could rack up some impressive stats if he gets into the pocket on Saturday night.

Should Tampa Bay find a way to limit the former Ohio State star's production, Washington has a strong enough pass rush to create pressure and notch some sacks.

Stopping Young also isn't easy, though, so don't be surprised if he's one of the bright spots for Washington in this matchup—as he so often has been in the 2020 season.

Stat Prediction: Four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble

Bucs Likely to Shut Down Washington RB Gibson

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Quarterback Alex Smith (calf) and wide receiver Terry McLaurin (ankle) aren't the only key players on Washington's offense who played through injuries in Week 17. Running back Antonio Gibson has been dealing with a toe issue, which caused him to miss two games last month before returning in Week 16.

The 22-year-old has had a solid rookie season, rushing for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since getting into the end zone three times against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. And in the two games since returning from injury, he had 61 and 75 rushing yards.

This isn't the matchup for Gibson to have his first huge game in more than a month, though. Tampa Bay's defense ranked first in the NFL during the regular season with only 80.6 rushing yards allowed per game, nearly 10 fewer yards than any other team (the New Orleans Saints were second at 90.5).

Washington has been struggling to move the ball through the air, so it could try to establish a ground game early. But that's not easy to do against the Buccaneers.

Expect Tampa Bay to focus on shutting down Gibson and forcing Washington to pass, as that could be a formula that leads to defensive success. It's going to be a tough night for the Memphis product.

Stat Prediction: 12 carries for 31 yards

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