Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 7th, 2025
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) take on the Atlanta Falcons (0-0, 0-0 ATS, 0-0 O/U) in a divisional showdown to kick off the 2025 season on Sunday afternoon, and we have everything you need to know and the prediction. The Buccaneers recorded a 10-6 mark last season. The Falcons went 8-9. The Falcons went 2-0 against the Buccaneers last season.
Can the Buccaneers take this one by more than two points on the road to begin the season? Check out the Buccaneers vs. Falcons prediction. When it comes to NFL selections, our NFL Predictions are stellar.
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Tampa Bay Eyes NFC South Title
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the team to beat in the NFC South this season. The Buccaneers were inconsistent in the first half of last season and finished strong, posting a 5-1 record in their last six games of the regular season in 2024 to finish with a 10-7 record. They posted wins against the Eagles and Chargers. The Buccaneers were eliminated in an upset defeat by the Commanders in the wild card. The Bucs have a potent offense, but there are some question marks in the secondary.
Baker Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024. The 30-year-old netted 4500 passing yards, accompanied by a 41:16 TD to INT ratio, and he added 378 rushing yards. Mayfield recorded 510 passing yards in the two meetings against the Falcons last season.
The running game is potent, led by Bucky Irving. The 23-year-old running back had a superb rookie season, rushing for 1122 yards. He posted 60 or more yards in nine games. The receiving core is among the best in the NFL, anchored by Mike Evans. The 32-year-old WR has amassed at least 1000 yards in every season of his illustrious career. Evans yielded 1000 yards last season. Chris Godwin is dealing with an ankle injury and did not practice on Thursday, and is not expected to suit up. The 29-year-old managed 576 receiving yards in seven games last season. The Tampa Bay offense averaged 393 total yards per game last season.
The Buccaneers' defense is strong, but it is a younger group. The new offensive coordinator is Josh Grizzard. The Bucs added linebacker Hassan Reddick. He was dominant at times with the Eagles, but was shaky last year with the Jets. Other than Antonie Winfield Jr., the secondary is a younger group with inexperience. Rookie Tykee Smith had a great camp/preseason and is the starting safety. The Bucs' defense conceded an average of 342 yards per game last year.
Tampa Bay averaged 29 points last season, good for second. The Buccaneers kept opponents to an average of 22.7 points, placing them 17th in the NFL.
Atlanta Set Sights on Playoffs in 2025
The Atlanta Falcons are eager to reach the playoffs after missing out again last season. The squad finished one game below the .500 mark in 2024. They were 6-3 at one point but struggled in the second half, which included two overtime defeats and ended up dropping nine games on the season. The Falcons have the talent to make the playoffs this season. They need a better season from the defense to make that happen.
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins before last season, but he is not the starting QB. The job goes to the young Michael Penix Jr. The 25-year-old was good enough to be considered the Falcons' #1 QB without question heading into this season. He remains unproven. Penix recorded 775 passing yards and a 3:3 TD to INT ratio in five games in his rookie season. He did not play against the Bucs.
The running game is one of the most dangerous in the league, propelled by Bijan Robinson. The 23-year-old had a dominant 2024 season, racking up 1456 rushing yards, and played in all 17 games. He posted 124 yards in the two meetings against the Bucs. Atlanta has a strong #1 WR in Drake London. The 24-year-old had the best season of his young career in 2024, bringing in 1271 yards. Darnell Mooney is also a big threat. He was solid in his first year in Atlanta, netting 992 receiving yards. He has a shoulder injury and is questionable. Kyle Pitts Jr. should have a big season after 602 receiving yards last season. The Atlanta offense posted an average of 369 yards per game last season.
The Falcons' defense could decide if they make the playoffs or miss out again. Management used its top draft picks to upgrade the defense. Xavier Watts is an intriguing young player. The rookie safety was drafted out of Notre Dame and is starting this game. The unit struggled to make big plays on 3rd downs and in the red zone. Last year’s sack leader, Arnold Ebiketie, is back after making six sacks. Jessie Bates, who led the team in picks, is also back. The Falcons squandered an average of 345 yards per game last season,
Atlanta scored an average of 22.9 points in 2024, marking them 14th. The defense was shaky, conceding an average of 25 points, ranking them 23rd.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Spread Pick for Buccaneers vs. Falcons
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2 (5 units)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are considered the best team in the NFC South. They have a dominant offense that was second in points per game last year. I am not sold on the Atlanta Falcons. They had a losing record in 2024, and QB Michael Penix Jr. has only played in five career games.
Furthermore, Tampa Bay has an elite passing offense led by Mayfield and Evans. They should do big damage against a subpar Falcons' pass defense that was ranked 24th in the NFL last year. Also, Penix Jr. has question marks. He only connected on 58% of his passes in his five games last year. He did not play in the wins against the Buccaneers. Bijan Robinson is a huge threat, but it won't be easy for the young running back, considering the Buccaneers' rush defense is their top strength. The Bucs were ranked 2nd against the run last season.
Over/Under Pick for Buccaneers vs. Falcons
- Over 47 (5 units)
I expect plenty of scoring, similar to the meetings last season. Tampa Bay has a potent offense that scored 30 and 26 points in the two meetings against the rivals last season. Mayfield will post his big numbers, and Irving should have a mammoth game against a rush defense that was just average last season, ranking 15th.
In addition, Atlanta exposed the Buccaneers' defense last season, scoring 36 and 31 points. Atlanta has a quick offense that can generate fast scoring drives. They were rated sixth in offensive plays per game last season. Atlanta averaged a robust 26 points in their last five games of last season. The over is a convincing 5-1 in the Buccaneers' past six road games.
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