On paper, the matchup between the Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears seems like a pretty safe best in favor of the home team. The Bears bring to town the league's least-efficient offense that's averaging 16.3 points per game to square up against the NFL's third-best overall offense that's averaging 32.5 points per game with a quarterback under center that leads his peers in passing yards through six games. Tom Brady also has the second-most passing touchdowns in the league.
Now, the Bears' defense makes them a formidable opponent. They have the seventh-ranked unit and are giving up an average of 218.7 passing yards per game, which is good for the eighth-best mark in the league. They have also sacked opposing quarterbacks the most of any team, with 21.0 takedowns so far this season.
Is that enough to sway some experts in Chicago's favor as they travel to Tampa for the first time since 2017?
See what the experts think below.
- NFL.com, Greg Rosenthal – Buccaneers
- ESPN.com, Consensus – Buccaneers (unanimous)
- USA Today (consensus) – Buccaneers (unanimous)
- SB Nation, Consensus – Buccaneers (split)
- CBSSports.com, Consensus – Buccaneers (unanimous)
View some of the top photos from Buccaneers practice at the AdventHealth Training Center.