Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 8 kicks off with Thursday Night Football as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3, 3-3 ATS) head up to Buffalo to face the Buffalo Bills (4-3, 3-4 ATS). Tampa Bay is looking to bounce back after two consecutive losses at home, with their latest defeat being a 16-13 loss to Atlanta where they were 3-point favorites. Meanwhile, Buffalo is also coming off a loss to their divisional rival, New England, falling 29-25 despite being 7.5-point favorites. Both teams have their sights set on the playoffs and are keen to rebound from their recent losses. The Bills are currently favored by 8.5 points in their home stadium, Highmark Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 8:15 and will be available for viewing on Amazon Prime.

It's worth noting that Tampa Bay has struggled in their recent games, losing three out of their last four, all of which occurred on their home turf. Surprisingly, they are unbeaten in away games, with victories in Minnesota and New Orleans, one by a three-point margin and the other by a 17-point lead. Despite the home-field woes, Tampa Bay is only half a game behind Atlanta in the NFC South. In their last match, the Buccaneers managed just one touchdown, a 40-yard pass to Mike Evans in the first quarter. To stand a chance against the Bills in Buffalo, they will need to revitalize their offense.

Baker Mayfield has been a positive addition to the Tampa Bay team, guiding them to a .500 record after six games. However, his performance has dipped in the last two games, resulting in only one touchdown pass and two interceptions during those losses. For the season, he averages 227.2 passing yards per game, with a QBR of 58.6, ranking 14th in the league. Mike Evans remains their top receiving threat, averaging 78.0 yards per game with four touchdowns and eight receptions for more than 20 yards. Chris Godwin serves as an excellent secondary receiver, with an average of 66.3 yards per game, though he has yet to find the end zone this season. The Buccaneers have struggled in the ground game, with Rachaad White as their top back, averaging just 44.3 yards per game. White has the only rushing touchdown for the Buccaneers this season.

Scoring-wise, the Buccaneers rank 27th in the league, averaging only 17.2 points per game. Their strength lies in their defense, which ranks 6th in the league, allowing only 17.3 points per game. Lavonte David leads the team in tackles with 53 on the season, while defensive tackle Vita Vea leads in sacks with 3.5. The defense has forced 13 takeaways this season, and the offense has turned the ball over just six times, resulting in a +7 turnover differential, which is second overall in the league.

It's important to note that Baker Mayfield is questionable for the upcoming game due to a knee injury, and he did not practice on Monday. If he cannot play, Kyle Trask will step in as the starting quarterback. Other players listed as questionable include wide receiver Chris Godwin, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and guard Matt Feiler.

Buffalo's season has had its ups and downs as they've progressed through their schedule. Despite being favored in every game this season, they suffered losses to the Jets, Jaguars, and most recently, the Patriots, with the New England game being their most disappointing loss, especially since they were favored by more than a touchdown and held a lead with under a minute to go. When asked about his team's struggles this year, quarterback Josh Allen admitted, "I wish I knew the exact answer, because we'd have it fixed by now. Our season isn't over. It may look pretty bleak right now, but we're going to figure it out."

In terms of individual performance, Josh Allen ranks 5th in the NFL in total passing yards this season with 1,841, averaging 263.0 yards per game. He leads the league in touchdown passes with 15 but is also tied for 2nd in interceptions with seven. His QBR stands at 74.7, ranking him 3rd overall, but Buffalo hopes to see fewer turnovers from him. Stefon Diggs is the 4th top receiver in the league in terms of receiving yards, averaging 96.9 yards per game with six touchdowns. However, he has seemed frequently dissatisfied in Buffalo and chose not to speak to the media after the Patriot game. Gabe Davis serves as a reliable second receiver, averaging 49.6 yards per game with four touchdowns. Rookie Dalton Kincaid has stepped into the role of the top tight end and has 25 catches on the season. James Cook leads the Buffalo rushing game, averaging 59.9 yards per game and has had three runs that went for over 20 yards.

The Bills rank 3rd in the league in scoring, putting up an average of 28.3 points per game, and their defense ranks 5th, allowing just 16.9 points per game. Linebacker Terrel Bernard leads the team in tackles with 68 on the year, a significant margin ahead of the next highest, cornerback Taron Johnson, with 35. Leonard Floyd tops the unit in sacks with 6.5 for the year. The Bills have 14 takeaways this season but have turned the ball over 11 times.

Despite their recent struggles, Buffalo is a team with too much talent to continue playing poorly, especially considering their strong start to the season with three straight wins by at least 28 points from Week 2 to 4. In the upcoming game, Tampa Bay is expected to have a tough time keeping up, given their offense's low ranking at 27th in scoring and 29th in rushing offense. Buffalo's offense is 3rd in scoring and is likely to cover the spread comfortably. The Buccaneers' pass defense ranks 27th in the league, allowing 246.7 yards per game, which sets the stage for Josh Allen to bounce back, utilizing the talents of Diggs and Davis as they continue to find the end zone. Additionally, there's a possibility that Baker Mayfield won't be able to play due to his knee injury, in which case Kyle Trask will be called upon to keep up with Buffalo's offense.

The Buffalo Bills are set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium, with the Bills holding a 4-3 record, placing them second in the AFC East just one game behind the Dolphins. Their last game was a 29-25 loss to the New England Patriots, where they conceded the game-winning touchdown with only 12 seconds left.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the other hand, have a 3-3 record, putting them in second place in the NFC South, trailing the Falcons by half a game. The Buccaneers have experienced a two-game losing streak, falling to the Lions and Falcons, both losses happening at home.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the Bills being favored by 8.5 points according to the latest odds. The over/under for total points scored is set at 42. Stefon Diggs has been a standout receiver this season, ranking second in the NFL in both receptions (55) and receiving touchdowns (six). After his 100-yard performance in Week 6, he joined a select group of players in the Super Bowl era with five 100-yard receiving games in the first six games of a season.

Buffalo's defense faces challenges due to injuries across all three levels. Key players like DaQuan Jones, Matt Milano, and Tre'Davious White are likely out for the season. In their absence, the defense allowed the Patriots to set season-highs in points, yards per play, and passing yards per attempt in their last game.

On the flip side, the Buccaneers have excelled in winning the turnover battle, leading the league with a +7 turnover margin. In their previous game against the Falcons, Tampa Bay forced three turnovers.

In summary, the Buffalo Bills will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a prime-time matchup, with both teams sitting in second place in their respective divisions. The Buccaneers seek to break a two-game losing streak, while the Bills are aiming to bounce back after a tough loss to the Patriots. Buffalo's defense is grappling with injuries, while Tampa Bay's offense has struggled in recent games.