Baltimore Ravens vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Bold Predictions

Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Bucs will keep this close longer than they should

I don’t expect the Ravens to dominate this game for two reasons.

First, I expect a conservative game plan that features plenty of running, short passes and long drives. Those are the kinds of drives that win football games, but they don’t make for gaudy point totals or major blowouts.

Second, the Bucs have weapons. Mike Glennon is at minimum an average starting quarterback, and with weapons like Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans (if he’s healthy), the Bucs should find ways to score. They’ve averaged 29 points per game in games that Glennon started, and he should find success against the Ravens’ secondary.

I expect the Ravens to win, and realistically, the outcome will probably never be in real doubt. But the score might not be the easy win people expect.

My final prediction: Ravens 27, Bucs 13.