Buccaneers vs Eagles Prediction, Preview, Stream, Odds & Picks

Monday Night Football will showcase a matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0). Oddsmakers peg the Eagles as the big favorite with an implied win probablity of 69%, leaving the Buccaneers with a 31% chance to record a win. The current spread is the Eagles -5.5 with a Game Total of 44.0.

Tampa Bay's primary disadvantage this season has been their rushing offense, which has ranked #32 in football with a low 3.58 yards per carry. The most important component of a strong ground game is a good offensive line. If the line isn't opening up holes and creating space, it doesn't matter how good a team's running backs are. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, their line ranks #5-worst in the league in run blocking. Perhaps because they routinely failt to successfully establish the run, Tampa Bay has also lacked effectiveness through the air. They've scraped together a measly 6.49 yards per target, ranking the bottom 10 in football. When it comes to their defense, the Buccaneers check in at #11 in football when it comes to total yards allowed per game. Opposing air attacks have notched 214 yards per game against Tampa Bay this year (#13 in football). Opposing ball-carriers have ranked #13 against them with 4.5 yards per ground attempt. This Buccaneers pass defense hits their peak effectiveness when it comes to defending opposing running backs, keeping them in check at just 25 yards per game (#4-best in the league). Tampa Bay's defensive effectiveness bottoms out when it comes to defending opposing tight ends, who have caught 74.6% of their passes (#7-highest in the league).

Philadelphia's biggest strength has been their rushing offense, ranking #4 in the league with 4.82 yards per carry. The key component of any team's ground game is their offensive line. The best running back can't do much if the line doesn't open up holes for them, and a worst running back can find success if he's given open space. Philadelphia's o-line ranks #4-best in this regard. With how successful they've been on the ground, this has opened up opportunities through the air as well; Philadelphia has averaged 7.47 yards per target, which ranks them #7 in football. In terms of their defense, the Eagles have ranked #14 in the league in total yards allowed per game. Opposing offenses have passed for 220 yards per game through the air against them (#19 in football). On the ground, opposing ball-carriers have ranked #20 with 4.62 yards per carry. Philadelphia has been most effective in shutting down opposing wide receivers, holding them to a 60.9% completion rate (#1-lowest). Positionally, perhaps their worst defensive asset has been their linebackers, which rank just #30 in the league in terms of getting to the passer.