The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Here’s our complete guide to Buccaneers Lions Bet Tips. Odds and lines for Buccaneers-Lions picks are from PointsBet, current as of Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5) at Detroit Lions (5-9)
Buccaneers Lions Bet Tips
Odds & Betting Lines for Buccaneers-Lions Picks
- Against The Spread: Buccaneers -9.5 (-105)/Lions +9.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Buccaneers (-420)/Lions (+320)
- Total: 54 — Over 54 (-115)/Under 54 (-105)
- Implied Team Totals: Buccaneers 31.75, Lions 22.25
Two games removed from their Week 13 bye, the Buccaneers have looked more like the team from the first half of the year than the team entering the aforementioned week off. Winners of each of their past two outings, the Buccaneers have outscored their foes 57-41 in that period, holding the Vikings to 14 points.
Sitting at the No. 6 seed in the NFC, the Buccaneers have the Cardinals right behind them, but a win over the Lions on Saturday could lock it up for Tampa Bay. The Lions have lost four of their past five games, including two straight, flushing any postseason aspirations down the drain.
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Buccaneers-Lions Key Injuries
Buccaneers
Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones missed last week’s win over the Falcons as he was placed on the reserve/ COVID list. He is also dealing with an injured pinky finger. While there is a shot that Jones can be activated from the list, there are no guarantees, which means Tampa Bay could be without their primary rusher for their second consecutive outing.
It is not like the Buccaneers don’t have depth, however. With Jones sidelined, not only did Tampa Bay win last week, but Leonard Fournette, Jones’ immediate replacement, also made an impact.
Fournette rushed 14 times for 49 yards and two touchdowns — he was not targeted — against the Falcons. If Fournette is the starter again, he will face-off with a Lions defense conceding the fourth-most rushing yards (137.3) per game this season along with a league-high 17 touchdowns allowed on the ground to enemy backs.
Lions
While the Lions are not dealing with any new injuries of note, the one to watch is Kenny Golladay. Golladay has not played since Week 8 with a hip injury, and the latest reports suggest he could be shut down for the remainder of the year.
Marvin Jones has acted as the Detroit WR1 in Golladay’s absence with Mohamed Sanu and Danny Amendola filling in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.
Buccaneers-Lions Picks: Players to Watch
Buccaneers WR Antonio Brown finally made an impact in last week’s improbable come-from-behind victory over the Falcons.
Brown caught 5-of-7 targets for 93 yards and one touchdown in the win. However, the score was not an insignificant one. It will be memorable because it was the go-ahead score for the Buccaneers who never looked back. It clinched the game for them. Brown’s 93 yards were also a season-high for the once elite wideout.
Brown was not the only Tampa pass-catcher to make noise. While Mike Evans went for 110 yards, Chirs Godwin also scored. There was enough to go around for everyone to eat. Tom Brady passed for 390 yards and two scores in the game.
Tampa Bay wideouts will get a Lions defense allowing the sixth-most passing yards per game (264.1) this season along with the seventh-most scores (14).
Lions RB D’Andre Swift was dealing with lingering concussion symptoms that held him out of three straight games from Weeks 11-13. However, in his two-game back, Swift has picked up where he left off.
While he only totaled 50 yards and a touchdown in Week 14, his first game back, Swift only managed 11 touches (four receptions) in that outing. In last week’s loss to the Titans, however, Swift handled 19 touches (four receptions) while taking them for 82 total yards and a pair of scores.
Swift has now in each of the past three games he’s played in, including three touchdowns combined in each of his past two outings since his Week 14 injury return.
Look for Swift to be heavily featured on Saturday facing a Tampa Bay defense allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (77.8) this season as well as the third-fewest touchdowns (8) allowed to enemy backs on the ground.
Buccaneers-Lions Weather Report
The weather at the Ford Field will not impact the outcome of the game as it is a dome.
Buccaneers-Lions Picks & Best Bet
BEST BET: Over 54 (-115)
We should see a points-explosion in the first game on the Saturday slate. While the Buccaneers’ defense is a stout unit, they have been gashed in the second half of the year.
Despite the fact that they held the Vikings to 14 points in Week 14, they have given up 27+ points in four of their past six games.
The Lions are the Lions. Their defense is surrendering the most points per game (31.1) this season. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers’ offense is scoring the seventh-most PPG (28.6).
As long as the Detroit offense comes through and does not lay a total egg, this Over should be met with ease. The Lions have scored 25+ points in five of their past six games.
The Over is 5-3 in the Buccaneers’ past eight games and 3-2 in their past five, hitting last week following a two-game slide meeting the Under.
The Over is 6-2 in the Lions’ past eight games, hitting in three of their past four, including last week.
Three of the Overs that the Lions have hit in their past seven games were a minimum of 51.5-point totals, topping out at 54.5 last week.
The Over is 4-0 in Buccaneers’ last 4 games as a road favorite.
The Over is 4-3-1 in the past eight meetings between these two teams, hitting in two of their past three including their last matchup last season.
CONSIDER: Buccaneers -9.5 (-105)
9.5 points is a large spread to cover, but considering the fact that on paper, the Buccaneers are by far the superior team over the Lions, I am comfortable taking Tampa to cover. However, I am not too confident in it. if I was, it would be my Best Bet for this game.
Whether it is Ronald Jones or Leonard Fournette manning the Tampa Bay backfield, the Buccaneers will have no issues establishing the run against one of the worst defenses in the NFL at defending it. With the ground attack cooking, Tom Brady should have a field day dropping dimes to his slew of top-end pass-catchers on the league’s sixth-worst pass defense.
The difference in this game is turnover differential. The Buccaneers are at (+5) while the Lions are at (-5). If the Buccaneers are given additional opportunities this week as a result of the Lions giving away the football, it will blow the game open and allow Tampa Bay to cover.
The Buccaneers are 3-2 against the spread in their past five games, failing to cover last week.
The Lions are 3-5 ATS in their past eight games, failing to cover in three of their past five, including last week.
The Buccaneers are 2-2 ATS in their last four meetings against the Lions, covering in last year’s 38-17 blowout victory — and that was Jameis Winston’s Bucs.
PASS: Lions (+320)
I will gladly punt the Lions Moneyline. While anything can happen at any time — go ask the Rams after last week’s embarrassing loss to the Jets — that game was an anomaly.
The Buccaneers are playing their best football since the first half of the year following their Week 13 bye and in last week’s come-from-behind win on the road in Atlanta, their offense clicked when it had to.
The Lions play tough at home, but it will only be a matter of time until Tampa Bay blows the game open.
The Lions are 2-6 straight up in their past right games.
Anthony Cervino is 55-44-1 on his NFL Best Bets in 2020.
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