Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions Betting Preview

As you wind down from Christmas, enjoy some Saturday afternoon football as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) take on the Detroit Lions (5-9). The Lions will host this one from Ford Field, and kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm ET.
At 9-5, the Buccaneers currently sit in second in the NFC South, 1.5 games behind the New Orleans Saints. With a playoff spot not quite clinched, the Buccaneers still control their own fate and will look to seal it with a win. They come into this one having won two in a row, including a 31-27 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week.
For the Lions, they have lost two in a row, including a 46-25 drubbing by the Tennessee Titans last week. In the loss, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 252 yards and a touchdown. While it was backup Chase Daniel that finished the game, Stafford is expected to start on Saturday.
Despite playing on the road, the Buccaneers are the favorites in this one. They are -400 to win while the Lions’ moneyline is +315. The spread features Detroit +9.5 while the over/under for total points is 53.5.
By The Numbers
Offensively, Tampa Bay has been the better of the two teams. They rank seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 28.6 points per game. The Lions are 19th, averaging 23.9 points.
Defensively, it is once again the Bucs who hold the advantage. They rank 12th in scoring defense, allowing 22.9 points to opponents. The Lions rank dead last in the NFL, giving up 31.1 points per game on average.
Buccaneers Look To Clinch Playoff Spot
With either a win or a tie, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers solidify a playoff berth. With the division title now out of reach, Tampa Bay will still be looking for the win.
Leading the way for Tampa Bay is future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. This season, Brady has thrown for 3,886 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
For Brady, he has one of the best groups of wide receivers in the league to throw at. Leading the way is Mike Evans with 779 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Other notables include Chris Godwin (623 yards, four touchdowns), Rob Gronkowski (536 yards, five touchdowns), and Antonio Brown (310 yards, one touchdown).
Lions Hope To Play Spoiler
While the Lions are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this year, they still have the opportunity to play spoiler. The biggest question for the Lions is who is figuring out who is going to coach them.
After an array of COVID-19 contact tracing, a good chunk of the coaching staff is out, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell. Thus, the interim to the interim looks like it will be wide receivers coach Robert Prince.
On the field, Stafford will lead the team under center. This season, Stafford has thrown for 3,774 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has been dealing with some rib issues but intends to play in this one.
On the ground, the run game has been led by Adrian Peterson and D’Andre Swift. Peterson leads the team in rushing yards with 531 to go along with six touchdowns. Swift has rushed for 422 yards and seven touchdowns.
Hard To Pick Against Bucs
While the Buccaneers have had their share of flaws this season, they still have something to play for. With Detroit’s season ending after next weekend, you may see a lifeless Lions team similar to the one we saw last week.
Furthermore, with Stafford already hurting a bit, it wouldn’t shock me if he is pulled again in this game if they get down early. For my money, I like the Buccaneers not only to win but to cover the 9.5-point spread as well.