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The Chargers vs. Buccaneers betting odds opened at Tampa Bay -3 ½. Bookmaker.com was one of the only online sportsbooks that had the Bucs at -3 heading into Sunday. Bookmaker.com, the oldest established North American facing online sportsbook, was offering a 20 percent cash bonus when opening an account to bet on this game.
It's hard to believe that this is a critical game, not just for the Buccaneers, but also for the 6-8 San Diego Chargers, who can still get into the post season with an 8-8 record due to the weak division they play in.
This is one of the hardest games to bet due to the lack of head-to-head history and Gambling911.com will not dare offer a pick on the Charges vs. Buccaneers.
There are some very intriguing stats to consider however.
The Chargers are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0. They are also 6-1 ATS in their last 7 December games. They are are 13-4-3 ATS in their last 20 games as a road underdog and 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games following a S.U. win. Somewhat of an insignificant stat but one to keep in mind, nonetheless, is that the Chargers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.
The Buccaneers are 24-9-3 ATS in their last 36 home games vs. a team with a losing road record and they are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in Week 16. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, they seem to be leading into this trend once again based on recent weeks performances.
Tampa Bay can clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win over San Diego (6-8), a loss by Atlanta and a loss by either Dallas or Philadelphia.
The Chargers' postseason hopes were hampered by three straight losses at the end of November, but they've won both games this month, rallying for a 22-21 win at Kansas City last Sunday to improve to 12-0 in December contests since 2006.
To stay alive, second-place San Diego needs to beat Tampa Bay and hope AFC West-leading Denver falls to visiting Buffalo on Sunday.
Last season, the Chargers rode a six-game winning streak into the playoffs before falling to New England in the conference championship. But while coach Norv Turner is hopeful, he knows his team's quest this season is a bit more grueling.
"We've known it's going to be difficult, but the only control we have is getting ready to go play and play at the best level we can in Tampa," Turner told the Chargers' official Web site. "We're playing a very good football team that has a lot to play for. It'll be a real challenge for us."
Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
