Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head across the country to Los Angeles to take on Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Part of a loaded afternoon full of games with huge playoff implications, this game is no different. They’ll kick off from So-Fi Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at this Buccaneers-Chargers preview and predictions.
The Buccaneers come into this Week 15 matchup at 7-6. They lead the NFC South by a game over the Falcons and hold the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs. The Buccaneers had eight players who did not participate in practice on Thursday including Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Tristan Wirfs, and Antoine Winfield. Their status for Sunday’s game remains up in the air.
The Chargers sit at 8-5 and are currently in sixth place in the AFC playoff picture holding the second Wild Card spot. The Chargers have lost two of their last three games after a four-game win streak prior to that. They’ll look to bounce back in Week 15. Tight end Will Dissly is doubtful to play, and wide receiver Ladd McConkey was limited in practice Thursday, he remains questionable for Sunday’s contest.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Chargers Preview and Predictions Video
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Chargers Preview and Predictions
Gus Edwards Under 41.5 Rushing Yards (-115)
The Buccaneers are a top-half rushing defense, but this is more of an indictment on Edwards himself. The Gus Bus just hasn’t looked like he did during his days in Baltimore. In his two starts since JK Dobbins went down with an injury, Edwards only has 32 and 36 yards rushing respectively.
The team has also upped rookie running back Kimani Vidal’s usage in Dobbins’s absence. They doubled his carries from four two weeks ago to eight this past week. I expect them to continue to shift from Edwards to Vidal, giving Edwards fewer opportunities and not allowing him to get to a mark he hasn’t been getting to anyway.
Los Angeles Chargers -2.5 (-120)
The Chargers have been one of the better teams against the spread this season. At 9-3-1 they are fourth best in the entire league. Over their last seven games the Chargers check in at 6-1 ATS.
The games they’ve lost recently were against elite opponents in Baltimore and Kansas City. They’ve taken care of business against other tough opponents along the way, and I think they’ll do so again this week.
