Losing in the playoff race is absolutely forbidden!

There were only three left! Three games that every team in the NFL has to play or must play. The best 14 franchises can then continue the season in the postseason. A look at the current playoff picture shows that the season would continue for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars. However, it seems risky to predict that this will actually happen, as the starting situation for both teams is by no means ideal.

The hosts of the upcoming game are in first place in the NFC South, but with seven wins and seven defeats they have exactly the same record as New Orleans. And so any slip-up could see them fall behind in the division. However, last week’s performance at legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay gave them confidence for the tasks ahead.

Jacksonville have now lost three in a row and have lost their comfortable position in the AFC South. There are now three teams in this division with an 8-6 record – and that means the visitors are no longer allowed to lose. The best news is probably that Doug Pederson’s team is in control of its own destiny. After the Bucs, the Jaguars still have to play the Panthers and the Titans. But now it’s time for the Florida duel, in which the Buccaneers host the Jags. The even odds on the markets reflect the balance of power well and so we also find it difficult to pick a favorite

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Statistics & current form

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield made NFL history last week! He became the first quarterback from an away team to post a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field. Until last Sunday, only Aaron Rodgers in a Packers jersey had managed that. However, it was an all-round successful performance by the Bucs offense in Wisconsin, which was able to integrate all playmakers. A total of 452 offensive yards were recorded in the boxscore, which is significantly higher than the 314.9 yards this unit usually averages.

The forecast is clear: it has to go through the air

In the passing game, it is still the two big names Chris Goodwin and Mike Evans who excel. Goodwin celebrated his season-high with 155 receiving yards last week. However, he only has one touchdown catch to his name, while his congenial partner has already recorded eleven successful end zone visits. The tight ends and running back Rachaad White, who now has eight touchdowns, continue to be important targets for the 28-year-old Mayfield. But that’s not the only area where he’s invigorating the offense.

With him, the team from Florida finally has a kind of baseline in the run game again. Over the last four games, he has recorded at least 80 rushing yards, but has also been found as a pass receiver at least twice and has contributed six points to the overall score three times in these games. Will he also shine in the Buccaneers’ home game against the Jaguars? We find the forecast quite tempting.

On average, the defense allows 20.7 points, which is an absolutely solid value in league comparison. However, the passing defense is extremely vulnerable and the visitors will try to attack this weakness. With the exception of the Panthers, every opponent since week eleven has managed to gain at least 250 yards through the air against this passing defense.

Key Players:

• QB: Baker Mayfield
• RB: Rachaad White
• WR: Mike Evans
• TE: Cade Otten
• K: Chase McLaughlin

Jacksonville Jaguars – stats & current form

This brings us directly to the most important personnel issue in the Jags offense, as Trevor Lawrence is listed as “questionable” on the injury report! It would be a huge drop-off for the good passing offense if the quarterback wasn’t Lawrence, but C.J. Beathard. In terms of yards per game, this offense is a top-10 unit, which is somewhat necessary because the running game is very matchup-dependent and in the boom-or-bust range.

It is mainly former 1st-round pick Travis Etienne who is flying the rushing flag. He already has 837 yards to his name, but only one team in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has a more inefficient running game. Accordingly, the passing game will be of enormous importance for both teams at the Raymond James Stadium. But who will have the better cards when the Buccaneers play the Jaguars? In our prediction, the visitors’ unit will also be able to be productive through the air.

The good trio of pass receivers delivers!

In Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, they have two strong pass receivers who have each caught passes for more than 780 yards. Together they have also recorded eight of the 18 touchdown catches for the Jags. Tight end Evan Engram has also blossomed recently, with at least four receptions in every game so far this season, over 700 yards and three touchdowns in the two games against the Bengals and Browns. He could be an absolute mismatch for the home team’s defense.

Defensively, it could almost be a 1:1 copy of the text from the home team’s section. This is logical in that both are coached by coordinators from the same coaching tree. The Jacksonville defense is allowing slightly more to the opponent with 22.4 points, but the pass defense is at a similarly low level as the Bucs. This smells like a good matchup and plenty of points when the Buccaneers and Jaguars duel. A tip that the over/under limit of 43.0 points set by the bookies will be exceeded therefore seems absolutely realistic.

Key Players:

• QB: C.J. Beathard
• RB: Travis Etienne
• WR: Christian Kirk
• TE: Even Engram
• K: Brandon McManus

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jacksonville Jaguars head-to-head comparison / H2H record

This is the eighth time the Florida duel has taken place, even though the two cities are only around 170 miles apart. The explanation for this lies in the conference classification. While Tampa Bay is at home in the NFC, Jacksonville plays in the AFC. As a result, they usually only meet every four to five years.

The Bucs have won two of their three games against the Jags at home and have also won the last two meetings in 2015 and 2019.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jacksonville Jaguars betting tip

But what is our prediction in this “coin-flip game”, which is almost completely even with the bookmakers? The hosts are awarded a one-point lead, which would have been unthinkable in our eyes weeks ago. The distribution of the betting odds between the Buccaneers and Jaguars is naturally influenced by the performances of recent weeks, which clearly favor the home side. Added to this is the unclear situation surrounding Jags quarterback Lawrence. According to the latest updates, he has been classified as “week-to-week”, which makes it increasingly unlikely that he will play.

That’s exactly why we’re leaning towards the home side on Sunday night. If they can pick up anywhere near where they left off in Wisconsin in the passing game, they will leave no doubt about winning. We can also imagine the Bucs putting at least 20 points on the scoreboard, for example.