The 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue their month-long gauntlet of matchups against top NFC contenders, this time heading to Detroit to take on the 4-2 Lions under the Monday Night Football spotlight. The Buccaneers won at Ford Field last season in Week Two but it took a pair of timely turnovers to escape with a four-point decision. This game pits two of the six highest-scoring teams in the NFL. To find out how to watch, listen and livestream the game, click here.
In analyzing this Monday night matchup, several analysts honed in on the many missing players in Detroit's secondary but decided that Tampa Bay's injury woes at wide receiver are even more concerning. Several experts believe it was a bad thing for the Buccaneers that the Lions lost in Kansas City last Sunday night, predicting a big bounce back game from the Detroit squad. Along those lines, one noted that the Lions haven't lost consecutive games since October of 2022. There is still plenty of confidence in Baker Mayfield to keep it close, however, and a general belief that the game could come down to the wire. One analyst called it a potential NFC Championship Game preview.
Here are two differing viewpoints from the analysts at USA Today, beginning with Jordan Mendoza's selection of the Buccaneers:
"Such a juicy matchup between two teams that could break the scoreboard. It's tough the pick a winner, but given Tampa Bay's knack for playing close games, this one goes down to the very last second."
And now countered by how Lorenzo Reyes sees it:
"This is a fascinating game, though the Buccaneers are pretty banged up, especially at running back and receiver. The Lions were just humiliated against the Chiefs, so I think this is a prime bounceback option at great value, especially at Ford Field."
The Lions are 4.5-point favorites at home and have the backing of many experts with their picks. Here's what some of them are predicting will occur on Monday at Ford Field:
NFL.com – Though a close game is expected, all five analysts side with Detroit
ESPN.com – An 11-person task force convenes and eight go with the Lions
CBSSports.com – Pete Prisco foresees the Lions barely edging the Bucs in a high-scoring affair
USA Today – Picking against the spread, only two of six experts give the Bucs the nod
Bleacher Report – It's a 4-3 split in favor of the Lions as the analysts use the spread for their picks
Pro Football Talk – Both Mike Florio and Chris Simms predict a three-point loss for the visitors
Sports Illustrated – Of the seven experts making picks for SI, only John Pluym sides with Tampa Bay
Sporting News – The Lions win by a touchdown in this prediction
