The Chicago Bears (3-3) visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) Sunday in Week 7 for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff at Raymond James Stadium (CBS). Below, we look at the Bears vs. Buccaneers odds and lines, and make our best NFL picks, predictions and bets.
Chicago is coming off a 24-14 home loss to the Green Bay Packers and QB Aaron “I own you” Rodgers in Week 6. The loss snapped a Bears’ two-game win streak, and they failed to cover as 5.5-point underdogs, falling to 3-3 against the spread (ATS) on the season.
Tampa Bay won at the Philadelphia Eagles 28-22 in Week 6 for a third victory in a row. The Bucs were somewhat “backdoored” as 7-point favorites. They failed to cover when the Eagles scored a touchdown and the “meaningful” 2-point conversion with 5:54 to go in the game.
While the Bucs are an impressive 5-1 to sit atop the NFC South, they’re only 2-4 ATS.
Bears at Buccaneers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Bears +470 (bet $100 to win $470) | Buccaneers -700 (bet $700 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Bears +11.5 (-112) | Buccaneers -11.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 47.5 (O: -103 | U: -117)
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Bears at Buccaneers key injuries
Bears
- DB Tashaun Gipson Sr. (hip) out
- WR/PR/KR Jakeem Grant Sr. (ankle) questionable
- DT Akiem Hicks (groin) questionable
- LB Khalil Mack (foot) questionable
- DL Bilal Nichols (knee) questionable
- WR Allen Robinson (ankle) questionable
Buccaneers
- WR Antonio Brown (ankle) out
- LB Lavonte David (ankle) out
- TE Rob Gronkowski (ribs) out
- TE O.J. Howard (ankle) questionable
- LB Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder/hand) questionable
- CB Richard Sherman (hamstring) out
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Bears at Buccaneers odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Buccaneers 30, Bears 17
Money line
PASS. Backing the Buccaneers (-700) for seven times your return is not wise nor worth the risk. We’ll focus on the spread below.
Against the spread
TAMPA BAY -11.5 (-108) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager.
I know it’s a lot of points, but Brady and the Bucs thrive at home, and the Bears can’t score.
Chicago has only scored more than 2 touchdowns once this season – in a 24-14 home win vs. the Detroit Lions in Week 4. That was when the Bears had a healthy RB David Montgomery, who is on the injured reserve list with a sprained knee suffered in that Lions game.
The Bears are 1-2 on the road, featuring an identical 1-2 ATS mark.
The Buccaneers are 3-0 at home with an 2-1 ATS record. They won but didn’t cover as 10-point favorites in the season opener, a 31-29 squeaker against the Dallas Cowboys.
Their next 2 home games were non-sweaters for Bucs backers. Tampa Bay beat the Atlanta Falcons 48-25 as a 13.5-point favorite in Week 2, and cruised past the Miami Dolphins 45-17 as an 11-point favorite in Week 5.
Meanwhile, Brady has thrown for 1,066 yards and 14 touchdowns in the Bucs’ three home games. He’s also 5-1 in his career vs. the Bears, winning his first five before a 20-19 loss at Soldier Field in 2020, his first season with Tampa Bay.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 47.5 (-117) to WIN 0.5 UNITS.
I’ve been hammering Chicago Unders up to this point, and it has been profitable as the Under is 5-1 this season.
However, I’m a little worried Tampa Bay lights up the scoreboard and puts up 35-plus points.
The Bucs, who are 4-2 O/U, average 32.5 points per game to rank third in the league. They also average 426 total yards per game, also ranking third.
The Bears offense ranks last with 246.2 total yards per game and ranks 30th in points at 16.3 per contest.
Week 7 best bets
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
| JOHNNY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| SINCE JULY 8 | 62-42 | 26-14 | +17.636 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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