With the Bucs eliminated from playoff contention with last week’s loss, they now set their sights ahead to 2016. The Bears take a peak back as they go against former coach Lovie Smith, who is the last man to guide Chicago to the postseason and a Super Bowl.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5
Chicago Bears +2.5
Over/Under 46.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The line was wagered to Tampa Bay -3, the standard field goal for homefield advantage. Bucs’ coach Lovie Smith won 81 regular season games in nine years with the Bears and is looking for his first win against his former club. The total fell a half-point to 46.
KEY INJURIES
Alshon Jeffery – Left last week’s game with a hamstring injury after being targeted five times and making one catch. He’s dealt with a variety of soft-tissue injuries all season and is questionable to play on Sunday. Joshua Bellamy could see more snaps if Jeffery sits another game.
Shea McClellin – Entered the league’s concussion protocol after the Bears loss to Minnesota and his status for this week’s game is unknown. LaRoy Reynolds is next up on the depth chart at inside linebacker.
Kwon Alexander – Was suspended by the league for the final quarter of the season leaving an opening at his middle linebacker spot. The Bucs are hopeful Bruce Carter is ready to go after an ankle injury forced him out of last week’s game. Carter would start in the middle with Danny Lansanah moving back to his familiar strongside linebacker spot.
KEY MISMATCH
Bears outside linebacker Willie Young joined some rare company last Sunday. Young registered a sack for the fifth straight game, a feat previously accomplished for the franchise by Brian Urlacher and Steve McMichael since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Young leads the team with 6.5 sacks after recording 10 last season before suffering a torn Achilles in the regular-season finale. The team changed its defensive scheme this season under new coordinator Vic Fangio, moving Young from an end in the 4-3 alignment to his current position in the 3-4 setup. Young hadn’t played outside in his career and had struggled at the beginning of the season, while he was recovering from his injury. But he has the versatility to rush from a two-point stance, blanket running backs and tight ends in coverage and be a force along the line in three-point stance. Young is one of three players with at least 6.5 sacks and an interception.
KEY STAT
41.6 – Tampa Bay’s third-down conversion percentage. The Buccaneers will test Chicago’s defense that ranks 31st in the league in stopping drives on third down.
BETTING ANGLE
It’s been another sad season for Bears fans as the team is once again outside of the playoff picture after three straight losses. Backers of the Bears shouldn’t back off yet, though, as the Bears have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six road games ahead of their tilt in Tampa bay. The Bears opened as a 2.5-point dog, which is a position they’ve not had much success in while on the road in December in recent years, winning just one of their previous 20 games. With the Bucs out of the playoff picture, they close the season with a pair of home games and a strong finish for Jameis Winston could net him the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Not much to play for here with both teams out of the playoff picture. But there are individual accomplishments out there for the Buccaneers. Doug Martin is having a marvelous season and is only nine yards behind league rushing leader Adrian Peterson. Members of Tampa Bay’s offensive line have said they would love to get their back the title, and it’s well within reach. Winston is battling Todd Gurley and Marcus Mariota for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, something that would validate the team’s confidence in making him the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Furthermore, Smith was the last coach to take the Bears to the postseason, doing so in 2010, and he guided Chicago to the Super Bowl following the 2006 season. He was let go following a 10-win season in 2012, the last time the Bears hit double-figures. He has a good opportunity to taste victory and his young Bucs respond with a cover win.
Tampa Bay 27, Chicago 21
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