Bears vs Buccaneers Betting Odds: Tampa Small Favorites at Home

The Chicago Bears visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a battle of former NFC Central foes. The Bears had their share of troubles against Green Bay. The Buccaneers came away with an opportunistic 20-17 victory at Minnesota to open the season. The Bears vs Buccaneers betting odds have Tampa Bay -3 with a total of 41.5. Tampa Bay is -150 on the moneyline.

Bears Falter in 2nd Half vs Packers

Chicago played a decent first half against Green Bay, trailing 10-6 at halftime. But Green Bay scored 28 second-half points and won going away. The NFL spread had the Bears as 1.5-point favorites. Justin Fields was fair, throwing for 216 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His 59 rushing yards led the team, but he also had Chicago’s lone fumble in the contest.

The Bears need a little more from their running backs and some big plays from the passing game. Chicago averaged 4.6 yards per pass, which won’t cut it in today’s game. The Bears allowed four sacks, although you can’t entirely blame that on the offensive line. Fields’ tendency to run will allow him to avoid some sacks but force him to run into others.

The Bears were solid against the run, holding the Packers to 2.9 yards per carry. But Chicago couldn’t force any turnovers and gave Jordan Love too much time to throw the ball. The team would be among the first to tell you the Chicago Bears standings of 0-1 is entirely deserved.

Mayfield Wins Tampa Bay Debut

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were far from impressive against the Minnesota Vikings. But they were victorious, which is really all that matters. The Bucs were strong on defense, forcing three turnovers and stuffing the Vikings on the ground. Minnesota gained 41 yards on 17 carries, leaving Tampa Bay tied with the 49ers for the least rushing yards allowed in the NFL team defense stats. The Bucs allowed a few too many passing yards, but you’re not going to completely shut down Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson.

Offensively, Tampa Bay didn’t do a whole lot. But they also didn’t commit any turnovers, which is the crucial thing for the Bucs. Baker Mayfield threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay’s running game struggled most of the game. But it came to life a little when the Bucs picked up a few first downs to run out the clock.

The defense is good enough to keep the teams in games as long as the offense can make some plays now and then. That’s what happened against Minnesota, and that will be the key for the Bucs this season.

What to Expect

Chicago has come out and let Fields do what he does best. That’s throw the ball downfield and making plays with his feet. He’s going to make some mistakes here and there. But he needs the freedom to try and make things happen. The Bears will make an honest attempt at running the ball first. If that doesn’t work, they’ll gradually throw more. But Chicago isn’t a team that will win often if forced to throw 40 times in a game.

Tampa Bay needs a little more production from the running game. That will open up the passing game for Mayfield and at least keep defenses honest. The Bucs will gladly take a similar effort from Mayfield. He didn’t hurt the team with mistakes and played smart. That’s what teams have wanted from him since he came into the league.

Who to Bet On?

The Bears vs Buccaneers betting odds of Tampa Bay -3 looks slightly low on the surface. The Bucs went on the road and beat Minnesota, while Chicago lost at home to Green Bay. But the point spread is the great equalizer in the NFL. Tampa Bay is only favored by three points for a reason. Teams are seldom as good as they look when they win or as bad as they look when they lose.

The Bears vs Buccaneers betting odds on the total could be a shade low. The Bucs held the Vikings in check, but Fields posed a different problem for the Tampa Bay defense. He’s mobile enough to occasionally make you pay when bringing added pressure from the defense.

The Bucs should be able to run the ball a little better than they did against Minnesota. If Tampa Bay can gin yardage on the ground, the team will stick to the run. But it hasn’t been easy for the Bucs to run the ball lately.

Even though the Bucs won their opening game of the year, it’s not easy to trust them as a favorite. The Bears +3 should be given a good look in this game.

For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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