Game: Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Date: September 28th at 1:00 PM ET

Where to Watch: Fox

In what is probably the biggest matchup in the 1:00 PM ET slate this Sunday, we get an NFC matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are coming off tightly contested matchups, where they both pulled it out late, and both teams come into this one at 1-0. The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t gotten their offense clicking on all cylinders up to this point, but there were some strong flashes in the second half last week when they allowed Jalen Hurts to start throwing the ball. Defensively, Philadelphia has been one of the strongest teams, though the secondary still has some question marks. Tampa Bay has been pretty solid, though things looked a little suspect last week against the Jets at times, but they seem to have a new star in Emeka Egbuka, who will be crucial in this matchup, likely without Mike Evans. Defensively, the Bucs have been pretty strong, though they have had some issues with missed tackles and a lack of consistent pass rush.

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Weather

It’s going to be a hot one this weekend in Tampa, with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s throughout the game and a real feel of over 100℉. Precipitation won’t be an issue, and winds will average around 7 mph with gusts up to 16 mph.

Betting Overview

This game has always had the Eagles favored, opening at -1.5 but now moving to -3.5. The moneyline has shifted slightly as well, from -120 for Philadelphia to between -190 and -200, while for Tampa it has moved from even to between +155 and +170. The total has dropped a good bit, moving from 48.5 to now between 43.5 and 44.5 depending on the sportsbook.

Position Group & Coaching Comparisons

Coaching: Even with the questions on offense, the Eagles certainly have the coaching edge in this one. They’ve proven able to adapt in game, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been extremely effective in his role throughout his tenure in Philadelphia.

DLs vs. OLs: This position battle certainly goes to the Eagles, even without pass rusher Nolan Smith. Philadelphia’s interior line has been stronger overall, and the offensive line for the Eagles is one of, if not the best, in the NFL.

QBs: Neither quarterback in this matchup has been elite up to this point, per se, but Baker Mayfield has gotten off to a better start. Both quarterbacks also have zero interceptions so far, but since Mayfield has been a little more efficient, I will give him the slight edge.

RBs & TEs vs. LBs: This matchup certainly leans in favor of Philadelphia. The linebacker room is one of the best in the NFL, and Saquon Barkley, though he hasn’t lived up to what he did last season, is still one of the best running backs in the league. The tight end conversation can really go either way.

WRs vs. Secondaries: Both of these secondaries have been really solid up to this point. The only reason this matchup tips in favor of Philadelphia is the high likelihood of Mike Evans not being able to suit up in this one.

Betting Trends

These teams have actually played quite a bit in recent years. Dating back to 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won 4 of the 5 matchups and only failed to cover in 2 of those games. The under has also been more prominent, hitting in 4 of the 5.

Philadelphia enters this matchup 2-1 ATS and has had 2 unders in 3 games. Last season on the road, the Eagles were 6-2 ATS and 3-2 as an away favorite. The over/under split was 4 and 4 for away games last season for the Eagles, and they had 3 overs in 5 games as an away favorite.

Tampa Bay also enters this game 2-1 ATS, and the under has hit in 2 of their 3 games. Last season as a home team, the Bucs were 5-5 ATS and 2-2 as a home underdog. As for the over/under, in games when the Bucs were the home team, the over resulted 6 of 10, and 3 of 4 as a home underdog.

Final Thoughts

This is a very intriguing game, not only because both teams are 3-0, but also because of how these teams match up. Todd Bowles, for whatever reason, always schemes up a great defensive game plan against the Eagles, but this season, the Eagles have both of their star receivers, which they didn’t have last season. I do like the Eagles to win this one, but I would certainly lean toward Tampa covering. The over/under in this one is a bit tricky, so I would stay away from it.