NFL WEEK 3 MATCHUPS
Monday, 7:15 p.m. EDT, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
TV: ESPN
Spread (BetMGM):
Eagles by 5.5
Eagles’ keys to victory: They will need to protect the football against a defense with five takeaways in two weeks. Philly has thrown only one pick and has lost only one fumble. Tampa Bay can quickly become one-dimensional if its shaky run game cannot get going, so making the Bucs pass early and often could be a good way to control the game. Tampa Bay’s run defense is also looking to be very tough, so should the Eagles have as good of a rushing game as they did against the Vikings, they’ll come out on top.
Bucs’ keys to victory: Continuing to dominate on defense will be a major factor. Much like how they contained Bears QB Justin Fields, the Bucs can improve their chances by increasing pressure. Finally, the team needs to be better about scoring in the red zone with threats like WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Matchup to watch: Bucs offensive line vs. Eagles defensive line. Tampa Bay has given up one sack but hasn’t played a truly good defensive line. Philadelphia has seven sacks. The Bucs have had problems with penalties on the line, and QB Baker Mayfield has had to elude sacks frequently, so if the Eagles can break through and get to him, Philadelphia could control the game. On the flip side, if the line protects Mayfield, the Bucs could have more of a shot than people may think.
Who wins? The Bucs will likely be a lot better than people think, but that still probably won’t be enough to beat the defending NFC champions, who are loaded.
Eagles 28-17