#Take Tom Brady coming off loss

A bye week can come at a bad time, and that could turn out to be the case for the Green Bay Packers heading into Sunday afternoon’s matchup with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla.

The last thing a hot team needs is time off, and a chance to cool off. The Packers are 4-0 straight up and against the spread, and have covered games by an NFL-best 10.9 points per game.

Aaron Rodgers is performing at an MVP level, completing 70.5 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions while taking only three sacks. What makes those numbers more impressive is that Rodgers has been throwing to an inexperienced group of receivers. One positive to the week off will be the return of wideout Davante Adams.

This is a better spot for the Buccaneers, who are off a loss at Chicago last Thursday, when Brady failed on a potential game-winning drive and could not count to four. Brady was without a few key weapons, including wideout Chris Godwin, who’s expected to play for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3.

Brady and Rodgers have squared off twice in their careers, with the home team winning each time. Tampa Bay ranks No. 2 in the league in total defense (298.2 yards per game), compared to Green Bay at No. 12 (353.3 ypg). Rodgers’ recent play inspires more faith, but Brady should still be a good bet to bounce back from a bad loss.

The play: Buccaneers, +1.