The Bucs and 49ers have each surprised this season, staking themselves division leads after the first quarter of the NFL season. But who is the pick when a pair of upstarts matchup vs. each other in Week 5?
NFL Picks Week 5: Buccaneers Vs. 49ers
In a matchup of surprise division leaders, can the Bucs topple the 49ers in San Francisco? The experts think the can.
Despite their matching 3-1 records, both the Buccaneers and the Niners seem very beatable. Last week, Tampa Bay found a late touchdown from LeGarrette Blount to escape Monday Night Football with a win against the hapless Colts. Meanwhile, San Francisco needed a meltdown from the Eagles to pull out a win.
The Bucs are favored by 3 points, and the experts seem to be leaning (slightly) toward Josh Freeman and Co. Sports Illustrated's Peter King explains:
The most encouraging thing about the win over the Colts Monday night? The impact of the young defensive line, with ends Michael Bennett and Adrian Clayborn, and tackles Gerald McCoy (particularly disruptive) and Brian Price spending lots of time in the Indy backfield.
More Picks: The experts at NFL.com are split 2-2, while the CBSSports.com crew is 4-1 in favor of the Bucs. SB Nation's own Andrew Sharp likes the 49ers in his weekly NFL Picks column, adding: "GET READY FOR GAME MANAGEMENT."
For more on the Bucs, head over to Bucs Nation. For the latest on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation.
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