The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played with an underdog mentality all year. It seems like they’ll have no problem evoking that against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The Bucs were also underdogs against the Philadelphia Eagles at home, and they proceeded to soundly defeat them 32-9 — even then, though, a Bucs pick among experts and pundits was not uncommon. Here, though, Tampa Bay is traveling to Detroit into a fervent home-field advantage, and most pickers on the internet don’t like their odds. The Lions are overwhelming favorites, so the Bucs would have to pull quite the upset to make it to the NFC Championship game.
See how experts and pundits picked Tampa Bay’s Divisional Round matchup down below:
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
USA TODAY Divisional Round picks
Jarrett Bell: Lions
Chris Bumbaca: Lions
Lorenzo Reyes: Lions
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Lions
Nate Davis: Lions
Safid Deen: Lions
Tyler Dragon: Lions
Victoria Hernandez: Lions
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
NFL.com Divisional Round picks
Ali Bhanpuri: Bucs
Brooke Cersosimo: Lions
Dan Parr: Lions
Gennaro Filice: Lions
Tom Blair: Lions
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Stephania Bell: Lions
Matt Bowen: Lions
Mike Clay: Lions
Dan Graziano: Lions
Kimberley Martin: Lions
Eric Moody: Lions
Lindsey Thiry: Lions
Sam Wickersham: Lions
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
CBS Sports Divisional Round picks
Pete Prisco: Bucs
Will Brinson: Lions
Jared Dubin: Lions
Ryan Wilson: Lions
John Breech: Lions
Tyler Sullivan: Lions
Dave Richard: Lions
Jamey Eisenberg: Lions
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Albert Breer: Lions
Mitch Goldich: Lions
Claire Kuwana: Lions
Gilberto Manzano: Lions
Conor Orr: Bucs
John Pluym: Bucs
Matt Verderame: Lions
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Bender: Lions 26, Bucs 19
Who knew this would be the playoff matchup between a pair of former No. 1 picks? These teams met in Week 6, and the Lions won 20-6 on the road. This will be an even tougher task for Tampa Bay at a revved up Ford Field, especially if Jared Goff repeats what he did in the first matchup. Goff had 353 passing yards and a pair of TD passes, and Amon-Ra St. Brown had 12 catches for 124 yards and a TD. That duo was better than good in the wild-card victory against the Rams. Goff had a 107.9 passer rating at home this season. Baker Mayfield will be fired up, too, and the Bucs will have a chance if Mike Evans goes off against the Lions’ secondary. That could happen either way. Yet Tampa Bay could not run the ball in the first matchup. If that trend repeats itself, then a Detroit pass rush led by Aidan Hutchinson will eventually get home. Tampa Bay is 8-3 ATS as an underdog, so be careful.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
The Lions are very heavy favorites for this playoff matchup. Here’s what the tally looks like:
Lions: 38
Bucs: 4
