Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Chicago Bears Picks and Predictions for Sunday, November 8, 2026

Chicago is getting hot at the right time. The Bears (6-2, 2nd NFC North) knocked off Seattle 34-17 on Monday night, making it three wins in a row. Tampa Bay isn't arriving quietly, either. The Buccaneers (3-5, tied for 2nd NFC South) shut out Atlanta 16-0 last Sunday and have now won two straight. Both teams are coming off strong defensive outings, although their records tell different stories. Chicago has gone 3-1 at Soldier Field, while Tampa Bay has won two of three on the road. They'll meet Sunday at 8:20 pm ET on NBC, with our free NFL picks taking a closer look at the matchup. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Finding Their Footing

Tampa Bay's defense gave Atlanta absolutely nothing to work with last Sunday. The result? A 16-0 shutout. That came right after the Buccaneers beat Carolina 43-13, giving Tampa Bay two straight victories. Quite a difference from the 26-19 overtime loss against Pittsburgh. The offense has scored 59 points in those two wins, and the defense has allowed just 13. Tampa Bay still sits at 3-5, averaging 22.3 points scored and 18.9 allowed per game. The Buccaneers are finally putting together the kind of performances they've needed all season.

Bucky Irving has been doing the heavy lifting. He's rushed for 728 yards and five touchdowns, picking up 5.0 yards per carry. Tampa Bay's quarterbacks haven't put up big numbers. Baker Mayfield has 679 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in five games. Jalon Daniels has another 501 yards through the air. Chris Godwin Jr. has 243 receiving yards, just ahead of Emeka Egbuka with 240. Egbuka is questionable because of a foot injury. The defense has received 68 tackles from Josiah Trotter, with David Walker adding four sacks.

Injuries: Yaya Diaby, Josh Hayes, Christian Rozeboom and Jalen McMillan are out. Emeka Egbuka is questionable.

Chicago Bears Riding Three Straight Wins

The Bears went into Seattle and won 34-17 on Monday. No squeaking by this time. Chicago also beat New England 30-24 and Atlanta 31-23, putting up at least 30 in three consecutive victories. That run came after a 31-7 thumping at Green Bay. Quite a change. Chicago averages 26.8 points per game, allows 20.0 and holds a 3-1 home record. The question Sunday is whether that scoring pace survives Tampa Bay's improved defense.

Caleb Williams has 1,267 passing yards, six touchdowns, one interception and a 70.9% completion rate. D'Andre Swift? 545 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Luther Burden III leads Chicago with 547 receiving yards and three scores; Rome Odunze has 468 yards. Dillon Thieneman tops the defense with 52 tackles, while Kyler Gordon and Austin Booker have four sacks each.

Injuries: Coby Bryant is out. Kyle Monangai, Kentavius Street, Grady Jarrett and Malik Muhammad II are questionable.

Key To The Game

Watch the ground game. Tampa Bay has rushed for 1,349 yards, with Irving doing much of the damage, while Chicago has scored 95 points during its winning streak. Williams can hit Burden downfield. But if the Buccaneers keep feeding Irving and moving the chains, the Bears won't get as many possessions.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Chicago Bears Game Pick

• Chicago Bears -6

Chicago is rolling, but six points is no giveaway. The Bears have scored 95 across three straight wins, and Williams has thrown only one interception in five appearances. Swift's 10 rushing touchdowns give Chicago a reliable answer near the goal line. Tampa Bay just shut out Atlanta, though, and the Buccaneers' defense has allowed only 13 points over two games. Irving can punish a defense that misses tackles. Still, Chicago offers more threats in the passing game, with Burden and Odunze both producing. I expect the Bears to pull away and cover the six-point spread.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Chicago Bears Over/Under Pick

• Over 46.5

Three straight games with at least 30 points for Chicago. Tampa Bay scored 43 against Carolina, then managed only 16 while shutting out Atlanta. That's the tension in this total. Irving has 728 rushing yards; Swift has 10 rushing touchdowns. Both offenses can move the ball without throwing on every down, and Chicago surrendered 24 to New England in its previous home game. The Buccaneers' defense has tightened considerably, so a shootout isn't guaranteed. But the Bears are scoring too often to ignore, and Tampa Bay can contribute enough. I'll take over 46.5.