Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Philadelphia Eagles Picks and Predictions September 29th 2024

The Eagles are favored on the road as they take on the Buccaneers at 1:00 ET on Sunday, September 29th at Raymond James Stadium. The Eagles’ money line is -139, and they are -2.5 point favorites on the road. The Buccaneers’ money line odds are +117, and the over/under line is set at 45 points. You can catch this week four NFC matchup on FOX.

Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay Key Information

Philadelphia pulled out a 15-12 win over the Saints, despite trailing 3-0 after the 1st quarter and 3-0 at halftime. The Eagles’ record is now 2-1. The Eagles were +2.5 point underdogs on the road, giving them both a straight-up and ATS win. The combined 27 points was well below the over/under line of 49 points.

Philadelphia didn’t score until late in the 3rd quarter, when Saquon Barkley broke a 65-yard touchdown run. In the 4th quarter, the Eagles outscored the Saints 15-9, with Barkley adding another touchdown and Philadelphia taking the lead for good with 1:05 remaining. The Eagles’ defense held New Orleans to a field goal until the 4th quarter, when Derek Carr found Chris Olave for a touchdown.

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The Eagles’ offense put up 20 first downs and 172 rushing yards on 25 attempts in their 15-12 win over the Saints. Despite not scoring a touchdown, Jalen Hurts threw for 311 yards, completing 76% of his passes. He was sacked four times and threw one interception. Hurts’ top target was Dallas Goedert, who had 170 receiving yards.

Philadelphia’s running game was led by Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 147 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt and scoring two touchdowns, including a 65-yard run. The Eagles struggled on third down, converting just 42.9% of their chances.

In their 15-12 win over the Saints, the Eagles’ defense didn’t allow a single completion, giving up just 130 yards on one touchdown. They also forced one interception. The Eagles’ run defense was solid, allowing just 89 yards on 29 attempts. However, they struggled to generate consistent pressure, with just one sack and losing both the QB hit and tackles for loss differentials.On third downs, the Eagles held the Saints to a 46.2% conversion rate. Despite their success, the Eagles’ offense didn’t help much, putting up only 219 yards in the game.

The Buccaneers are now 2-1 after a 26-7 loss to the Broncos in their most recent game. Tampa Bay fell behind early, as the Broncos led 14-0 after the 1st quarter. The Bucs managed to score in the 2nd quarter when Baker Mayfield connected with Chris Godwin for a 6-yard touchdown, but they still trailed 20-7 at halftime.

Wil Lutz’s field goal with 7:35 remaining in the 4th quarter was the last score for the Buccaneers. The Bucs were favored by -6 but lost straight-up and against the spread, with the 19-point defeat. The combined 33 points resulted in the game going under the 40.5-point total.

The Buccaneers’ offense struggled in their 26-7 loss to the Broncos, managing just 132 yards passing. Baker Mayfield went 25/33 for 163 yards and one touchdown. Tampa Bay’s running game had just 16 attempts but averaged 5.7 yards per attempt, with Bucky Irving leading the team with 70 yards, including a 32-yard run.

Mayfield was sacked seven times in the game, and the offense as a whole failed to convert on 72.7% of their third down attempts. Chris Godwin led the team with six catches for 53 yards and caught their only touchdown pass.

In their 26-7 loss to the Broncos, the Buccaneers’ defense allowed 216 passing yards and held Denver to 0 completions. However, they struggled to stop the run, giving up 136 rushing yards on just 28 attempts. Tampa Bay’s defense didn’t record any sacks in the game and allowed the Broncos to hit their quarterback seven more times than they hit the opposing QB. Additionally, they allowed a 30.8% third-down conversion rate.The Buccaneers’ defense also allowed 352 total yards in the game, with Denver finding success on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. Despite not allowing any passing yards, the defense couldn’t keep the Broncos out of the endzone, as they gave up 26 points and allowed two rushing touchdowns.

Our pick against the spread for this Eagles vs. Buccaneers matchup is to take the Buccaneers to cover as home underdogs. Right now, the Eagles are favored by 2.5 points, and we actually have the Buccaneers pulling off the upset, 19-18.

For an over/under pick, we like taking the under, with a projected combined score of 37 points and the O/U line sitting at 45 points.

Pass Rushes Key as Eagles Visit Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have given up 12 sacks while recording none of their own in the past two games. Turning that around will be critical when they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as both teams enter the contest with 2-1 records.

Buccaneers Struggling to Protect Mayfield

Last weekend, the Buccaneers suffered a surprising 26-7 home loss to the Denver Broncos, where Baker Mayfield was sacked seven times. This marked the second straight week where Mayfield threw for fewer than 200 yards and tossed an interception. Tampa Bay currently ranks 26th in total offense and 27th in rushing in the NFL.

However, Mayfield wasn’t willing to let the offensive line shoulder all the blame.

“There were a few pressures this week that were actually on me,” Mayfield said. “There’s a mindset of trying to fix the protections when they’re bringing some of these pressures, and there’s also a mindset to snap the ball and get it out of your hands. Not all of that is on the O-line.”

Eagles’ Recent History in Tampa

The last time the Eagles visited Raymond James Stadium, Mayfield put up 337 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 32-9 wild-card victory earlier this year. Despite that, the Eagles were able to sack Mayfield four times in the game, which mirrors their pass rush performance through the first three games of this season.

Philadelphia recorded just one sack on Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins in their Week 2 loss and took down Derek Carr only once in their Week 3 win over New Orleans.

Jalen Carter Leads Eagles’ Defense

Second-year Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter hasn’t secured his first sack of the season yet, but he made his presence felt in last week’s game against the Saints with four tackles (two for losses), two batted passes, and a quarterback hit.

“Obviously, this past game was his best game by far,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “Hopefully that will set the trend moving forward. I don’t know what actually triggered it, other than he, and we as a D-Line unit, didn’t play good in the previous game. So I’m sure that had something to do with it.”

Offensive Headliners: Barkley and Godwin

On offense, both teams bring notable playmakers to the table. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley leads the NFL in rushing yards with 351 and is tied for the lead in touchdowns from scrimmage with five. On the Buccaneers side, wide receiver Chris Godwin already has 21 catches and has scored in all three of Tampa Bay’s games.

Injury Watch for Both Teams

Both teams are dealing with significant injury concerns. Eagles star wideout A.J. Brown (hamstring) has missed the last two games and wasn’t practicing as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, No. 2 receiver DeVonta Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson remain in concussion protocol. Offensive linemen Mekhi Becton (finger) and Landon Dickerson (wrist) were listed as limited participants in practice.

For the Buccaneers, defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (calf) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. Others limited in practice included defensive tackle Vita Vea (knee), left tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee), rookie running back Bucky Irving (hamstring), and wideouts Chris Godwin (neck) and Mike Evans (knee).

Weather Concerns Loom with Tropical Storm Helene

Both teams are keeping an eye on the weather, as Tropical Storm Helene is expected to reach hurricane strength and strike Florida’s Gulf Coast by Thursday night. The storm could potentially impact Sunday’s game conditions in Tampa.