Tampa Bay is poised to bounce back in a crucial must-win divisional game against the Falcons team. With Atlanta’s offense weakened by injuries and their defense allowing plenty of points, the Buccaneers can leverage their strong rushing defense and improving health to control the game. Tampa Bay already beat Atlanta once this season and is expected to deliver a more dominant performance at home, using this opportunity to re-energize their offense and keep their NFC South hopes alive.
On the other side, the Falcons are coming off a tough loss to the Seahawks. Their quarterback situation hasn’t improved much either since Michael Penix Jr. went down with a season-ending injury. Kirk Cousins has been stepping in, but the results haven’t been great.
Let’s break down the matchup, look at a player you should keep an eye on, and I’ll share my pick for Week 15.
Bucky Irving just made his return in Week 13 after missing most of the season due to a shoulder and foot injury. Since coming back, he’s been getting a lot of work and looking pretty good.
He’s scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, including a catch in Week 14 against New Orleans. Over those last two games, Irving has carried the ball 32 times and caught 4 passes. With Mike Evans out injured (a broken collarbone), the Bucs will probably rely on Irving more to carry the offense.
If you’re thinking about player props for Week 15, Irving is definitely someone to keep an eye on as a key part of Tampa Bay’s attack.
I’m backing Tampa Bay to get right in a must-win spot. The Falcons are spiraling, coming off a brutal 37–9 embarrassment against Seattle and owning a dismal 1–7 straight-up mark in their last eight games, pushing their overall record to 4-9. With Michael Penix Jr. out for the season and star receiver Drake London highly unlikely to play on a short week, Atlanta’s offense has completely collapsed.
At this point, they’re one-dimensional, and that plays directly into Tampa Bay’s strengths. The Buccaneers rank 8th in the NFL in Rushing Defense (allowing just 100.6 yards per game), which should neutralize the only thing Atlanta still does with any consistency.
On the other side, Tampa Bay is getting healthy at the perfect time. Bucky Irving is back, and while the status of Pro Bowl LT Tristan Wirfs is critical, the urgency couldn’t be higher with the NFC South still in play. The recent losses are concerning, but this is the type of opponent that can jump-start an offense. Atlanta’s defense is struggling severely, allowing at least 27 points in four of its last five games, which sets the table for Baker Mayfield and company to finally cash in.
This is a short-week divisional game, but motivation is clearly one-sided. Tampa Bay still has everything in front of it, while Atlanta looks like a team ready to shut things down. The Bucs already went into Atlanta and won in Week 1, and I expect a more convincing result this time around at Raymond James.
Final Take: Tampa Bay controls the line of scrimmage, gets back to scoring form, and takes advantage of a Falcons team that’s run out of answers. Best Bet: Buccaneers -4.5 —home team by a touchdown
A win is a win, but a cover is profit. The real experts know that exploiting situational and injury edges is how you consistently beat the market. Stop giving away value and start trading like a pro. Learn the secrets of injury analysis and situational spots with the educational content and picks provided by the Bankroll U playmakers.