With the NFC South title in the bag, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may choose to rest their starters instead in their upcoming favorable matchup against the New York Jets. However, the Jets are coming off a rare win this past week and could have a surprise in store for the defending Super Bowl champs.

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with all the latest previews and odds for Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season. This time, we look at the compelling matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets. Find out more about the teams and the key players, event information, the latest NFL odds, and of course, helpful betting trends and expert betting predictions.

Buccaneers vs. Jets Information

Way to go, @ZachWilson ???? pic.twitter.com/RRL2KmBup1

— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 28, 2021

• When: Sunday, January 2, 2022, 1:00 PM ET
• Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• TV: FOX
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Live Stream:NFL Network, NFL League Pass
• NFL Odds: Buccaneers (-12.5) / Jets (+12.5)

READ MORE: Eagles vs. Washington 2021 NFL Week 17 Odds, Preview, & Pick

Why Bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

After the humiliating 9-0 shutout loss to the Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got back on the right track in Week 16 by taking their frustrations out on another division rival in the Carolina Panthers, 32-6. Tampa Bay is a lock for the playoffs already at 11-4 and has the easiest schedule to close out the season to hopefully improve its playoff seeding with a Week 18 rematch against Carolina also on tap.

Tom Brady did enough with a depleted offensive roster by going 18-of-30 for 232 passing yards and one touchdown. The Buccaneers also racked up 159 rushing yards, with Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Ronald Jones each finding the end zone in place of starting running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring). Brady and the Bucs are still ranked second in the league in average yards (401.7 YPG) and points scored (29.5 PPG) despite missing the likes of Fournette, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin for the past few weeks.

An even better sign for Tampa Bay is that its defense is still a top-10 unit in terms of yards and points allowed as well. It certainly appears as though the Bucs have a shot at holding their third straight opponent to under double digits considering that they’ll be facing an inept Jets offense up next.

Why Bet on the New York Jets?

The New York Jets won the battle of AFC bottomfeeders in Week 16 when they prevailed against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-21. New York will host another home game this weekend and will hope to spoil Brady’s return to East Rutherford; the man who had tormented the Gang Green fan base for almost two decades.

Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson may have just unlocked the key to salvaging his otherwise disappointing maiden NFL campaign. Although Wilson finished with just 102 yards and one TD on 14-of-22 passing, the No. 2 overall pick racked up 91 rushing yards and another trip to the end zone on just four carries. New York’s running game was still led by Michael Carter (118 rushing yards), as the team amassed a whopping 273 rushing yards against the lowly Jags.

Unfortunately, the Bucs possess the third-best rushing defense in the NFL, allowing just 87.5 rushing yards per game. That means Wilson needs to take the next step and get things done through the air more often. That’s easier said than done, though, as the former BYU standout has more interceptions (11) than touchdowns to date (seven).

Buccaneers vs. Jets Betting Trends

• The Buccaneers are 5-2 in their last seven road games (3-4 ATS).
• The Bucs are 8-1 against AFC teams in the Tom Brady era (7-2 ATS).
• The totals have gone under in five of Tampa Bay’s last seven road games.
• The Jets are 3-5 at home this season (SU/ATS).
• The Jets are 1-4 in games as double-digit underdogs this season (2-3 ATS).
• The totals have gone over in three of New York’s last four outings.

Buccaneers vs. Jets Expert Betting Predictions

Common sense would have it that this is likely an easy win for the Bucs. On the other hand, the Jets are coming off a spirited home win from the previous week. Couple that with a depleted Tampa Bay offense and New York has the right recipe needed to cover the huge spread at the very minimum.

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 NFL Regular Season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.