Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup Preview (10/24/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup Preview (10/24/21)

This game features a matchup of former NFC Central division rivals, the Chicago Bears traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. The Bears are coming off a disappointing home defeat to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers 24-14 last Sunday. The Buccaneers are coming off a hard-fought road victory staving off the Eagles in the fourth quarter on Thursday Night Football, 28-22. Chicago is 1-2 on the road this season and is averaging 13.3 points per game in those contests. The Buccaneers are 3-0 in games at home in 2021 while outscoring their opponents 124-71 at Raymond James Stadium. Chicago’s defense is allowing 331 yards per game, ranking seventh in the NFL. Tampa Bay’s offense averaging 426 yards per game is third best in the league.

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Odds

Against the spread the Bears are 3-3 on the season and 1-2 on the road as underdogs. The Buccaneers are 4-2 in 2021 (3-0 at home) with the over/under 46.1 points and above; it is currently at 47. An interesting note to ponder with Justin Fields starting for the Bears, rookie starting quarterbacks on NFC North teams are 0-6 in 2021. Tom Brady is the all-time leaders in victories by a quarterback with 235.

The last time the teams played each other last season was in Chicago on Thursday Night Football, it was a matchup of two former Super Bowl MVPs in Nick Foles and Tom Brady. The 7-time Super Bowl champion struggled in the matchup throwing for 253 yards and a touchdown but will be remembered for forgetting what down it was at the end of the game. Foles was again victorious against a Brady led squad, 20-19. I don’t expect Brady to forget what down it is at the end of this game since the Buccaneers will be comfortably ahead.

My predictions: Buccaneers 33-17, Buccaneers cover, over 47 points.

TV Schedule

Date: 24, October 2021
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
TV Coverage: FOX

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Live Stream

Where can you watch Bears vs. Buccaneers online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Bears vs. Buccaneers Free Online Now.

Injuries

Chicago Bears: David Montgomery (O)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Antonio Brown (O), Rob Gronkowski (O)

Chicago Bears Analysis

The Bears offense ranks last in the NFL averaging 246.2 per game. With Foles as third string and Andy Dalton the backup, Justin Fields will be making his fifth career NFL start heading into the week 7 matchup at Tampa Bay. In the 24-14 loss to the Packers last weekend, Fields threw for 174 yards, one touchdown and an interception to go along with a 40.6 QBR. The Bears signal caller went 0-4 with an interception on pass attempts traveling over 20 yards in the air last weekend at home against Green Bay. On the season the Ohio State product has thrown for 632 yards, rushed for 102 yards, and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing).

Darnell Mooney leads Chicago in receiving with 24 catches for 306 yards, his touchdown catch in the loss to Green Bay was his first in his last eight games. Allen Robinson has been targeted 36 times this season by Bears quarterbacks, catching 21 of those passes for 234 yards. But Robinson seems to be a forgotten man in the Matt Nagy designed offense. After being targeted 11 times in week 1 at the Rams, he’s only been targeted at least seven times once in the last five weeks. The Penn State product has had at least 1,100 receiving yards in the last two seasons with the Bears. Tight End Cole Kmet is another weapon that Nagy could look to utilize to help his young QB. The second year tight has 42 receptions in 22 career games, averaging 8.9 yards per reception.

The Chicago ground game is averaging 129 yards per game, which is seventh in the NFL this season. Making his first start of his NFL career last weekend, Khalil Herbert ran the ball impressively against the Packers, running for 97 yards on 19 carries, averaging 5.11 yards per attempt. Trying to pick up the slack in the running game for the Bears with David Montgomery on injured reserve with a sprained knee, Herbert has rushed for 172 yards in the last two weeks.

In terms of combined sacks, Robert Quinn, and Khalil Mack (six sacks) are the top pass rushing duo in the league with 11.5 sacks. Khalil Mack has at least one sack in five straight games which is the longest streak by a Bear since 2015. Quinn has 5.5 sacks on the season to go with a forced fumble. But to complicate matters for Chicago, Quinn was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday and his status for Sunday’s game is unknown.

Chicago Bears Depth Chart

QB: Justin Fields
RB1: David Montgomery
RB2: Damien Williams
WR1: Darnell Mooney
WR2: Allen Robinson II
WR3: Marquise Goodwin
TE1: Cole Kmet
TE2: Jimmy Graham

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Analysis

The Tampa Bay offense ranks third in yards per game (426) and points per game (32.5) in the NFL. Tom Brady continues to confirm that he is the G.O.A.T, even at age 44, defying logic. Brady in his 22nd season is leading the league with 2,064 passing yards (344 per game) with 17 touchdowns, putting him one behind Patrick Mahomes for the NFL lead. Against the Bears in his career, Brady is 5-1 having thrown for 1,848 yards, 15 touchdowns with 68.75 completion percentage.

The Buccaneers’ talented receiving group has been dominating opposing secondaries this season. Chris Godwin is leading Tampa Bay in receptions with 34 after having 65 in 2020. Mike Evans is leading the team in receiving yards with 420 yards and tied for the team lead with Antonio Brown with four. Brown is averaging 14.4 yards per reception as he re-establishes himself as one of the best receivers in the league.

Leonard Fournette is Tampa Bay’s leading rusher on the season, running for 332 yards on 78 carries and scoring three touchdowns. In his last outing at Philadelphia, Fournette ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He’s scored nine rushing touchdowns since joining the Buccaneers in 2020. Not known for being a pass catcher out of the backfield the LSU product has added 25 receptions for 213 yards on the year.

Tampa Bay’s secondary is a M.A.S.H. unit right now. Both starting cornerbacks, Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting are on injured reserve. Antoine Winfield Jr. is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bears with a concussion but has been a participant in practice early this week. Three-time All-Pro Richard Sherman suffered a hamstring injury early in last week’s game and looks as though he’ll be out for a few weeks. A bright spot for the Bucs has been, Jamel Dean who has an interception in two straight games for the first time in his career.

Based on his track record, ability to make every type of throw, despite an injured thumb and playing at an MVP level, I would absolutely have Tom Brady is my lineup. Since coming to the Buccaneers last season, Brady has thrown 33 touchdown passes in 11 home games at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Depth Chart

QB: Tom Brady
RB1: Leonard Fournette
RB2: Ronald Jones II
WR1: Antonio Brown
WR2: Chris Godwin
WR3: Mike Evans
TE1: Cameron Brate

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Daily Fantasy Picks

With Rob Gronkowski questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Bears, I would suggest looking at having O.J. Howard in your lineup if you have a flex spot available on your roster. His targets have been increased the last two weeks going from three in week 5 against Miami to seven last week at Philadelphia. Howard had six catches for 49 yards and a touchdown in the victory over the Eagles in week 6.

I like Allen Robinson and think he’s a fantastic receiver who’s reliable, but he’s simply not getting the ball enough. This season Robinson has fewer than 70 yards receiving in each game, for comparison he had over 70 yards receiving in 12 games last season. I would not be confident having him in my lineup despite the injuries in Tampa Bay’s secondary.