The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try to continue their recent mastery over the Philadelphia Eagles when they face off in an NFL Wild Card Weekend matchup on Sunday. The Buccaneers (13-4), winners of the NFC South and the second seed in the NFL playoff bracket, have beaten Philadelphia three consecutive times, including a 28-22 triumph on Oct. 14. The Eagles (9-8), who finished second behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East, have won two of the past three playoff matchups against the Bucs. The teams last met in the playoffs in 2002, with Tampa Bay posting a 27-20 win at Philadelphia.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., is set for 1 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is an 8.5-point favorite in the latest Eagles vs. Buccaneers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 45.5. Before you make any Eagles vs. Buccaneers picks or 2022 NFL playoff predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine's resident Eagles expert, Emory Hunt, has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player's perspective.
Hunt has had plenty of success in games involving the Philadelphia Eagles. He went 35-19-1 in his last 55 against-the-spread picks on Philadelphia games, returning $1,391 to $100 players. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hunt has locked in on Buccaneers vs. Eagles from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick. You can only see Hunt's Eagles vs. Buccaneers pick at SportsLine. Here are several NFL Playoff odds and Wild Card betting lines for Eagles vs. Buccaneers:
Eagles vs. Buccaneers spread: Tampa Bay -8.5 Eagles vs. Buccaneers over-under: 45.5 points Eagles vs. Buccaneers money line: Philadelphia +310, Tampa Bay -400 PHI: Eagles are 11-1 against the spread in their last 11 playoff games as underdogs TB: Buccaneers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as home favoritesFeatured Game | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay has one of the most prolific offenses in the league, led by future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Brady led the Bucs' passing attack by completing 485 of 719 attempts (67.5 percent) for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. He threw just 12 picks and had a rating of 102.1. He also rushed for a pair of scores and converted nine first downs on the ground.
The Buccaneers will be without top receiver Chris Godwin, who landed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL against New Orleans on Dec. 19. Looking to pick up the slack will be wide receiver Mike Evans, who was second on the team in receiving. He caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards (14.0 average) and 14 touchdowns. He had 20 explosive plays of 20 yards or more and 56 first-down conversions.
Why the Eagles can coverDespite that, Tampa Bay is not a lock to cover the Eagles vs. Buccaneers spread. That's because Philadelphia can run the football extremely well. The Eagles had five players rush for 290 yards or more and totaled 2,715 yards rushing on the season, tops in the league. Quarterback Jalen Hurts led the team in rushing with 784 yards on 139 attempts (5.6 average) and scored 10 rushing touchdowns. He had seven explosive runs of 20 yards or more.
Running back Miles Sanders was second on the team with 754 yards rushing on 137 carries (5.5 average) and also registered seven runs of 20 yards or more. He converted 33 first downs. Although Sanders is questionable with a hand injury, coach Nick Sirianni said on Monday he was hopeful Sanders will be available. Sanders has played in 12 games this season and has rushed for 100 or more yards twice, including an 18-carry, 131-yard effort against Washington on Dec. 21.
How to make Eagles vs. Buccaneers picksHunt has analyzed this matchup from every angle, and while we can tell you he's leaning under on the point total, he has also discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is and which side of the Buccaneers vs. Eagles spread to back at SportsLine.
Who wins Buccaneers vs. Eagles on NFL Wild
