NFL expert picks and predictions for Buccaneers vs. Bills

For the third time this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going up against a Super Bowl contender with a chance to prove themselves as a team that deserves to be taken seriously.

It's the first time, though, that they're all on their own.

Even against the Eagles there was some small belief among NFL experts that the Bucs might be able to make a game out things and pull off an upset. Had it not been for a bunch of misfires early on, there's a chance those predictions might have ended up being right.

The same thing happened against Detroit, as a few experts thought the Bucs were a team that looked like contenders and would prove as much coming out of their bye week. That didn't happen, and now the prediction community is firmly against the idea of the Buccaneers winning on Thursday night in Buffalo.

Who can blame them? Tampa Bay looked miserable against Atlanta on Sunday and not much has changed in the last few days to suggest anything will be much different. The run game is atrocious, the offensive line is a joke, and the team has scored 19 points over the last two games.

Perhaps that just means we're in for a surprise.

Buffalo is coming off two brutal weeks of their own, with a near-loss to the New York Giants at home and a road loss to the New England Patriots in Week 7. This could either mean the Bills come out angry and use the Bucs as a punching bag, or the things that have looked wobbly about the team since its loss to Jacksonville in London end up giving Tampa Bay a chance nobody thinks it has.

NFL expert predictions for Buccaneers vs. Bills in Week 8

Let's not lead anyone on here: not a single soul believes the Buccaneers can outright win tonight in Buffalo.

Almost every NFL expert picked the Bills to win on Thursday Night Football with a few brave souls dipping their toes into the murky waters of a pro-Bucs prediction. Anyone who did take the Bucs is taking the points, as Tampa Bay is getting 8.5 points from Vegas.

The Ringer: Bills
BetSided: Buccaneers (+8.5)
The 33rd Team: Bills
Bleacher Report: Bills (5), Buccaneers (2)
The Athletic: Buccaneers (+8.5)

It's not a bad pick, as the Bucs haven't been blown out all season except for a bad game against Detroit. Even the loss against Philly, which ended up being a two touchdown difference, was a lot closer than the final score indicated.

Taking the Bucs and points might also be an indictment of the Bills defense, which nearly lost to the Giants at home before blowing a late lead against New England a few days ago.

Experts who went with straight up picks all went with Buffalo.

NFL Live (ESPN)

To be fair, Dan Orlovsky and Marcus Spears hesistated in picking the Bills, with Spears flipping his pick at the last minute. Not sure if that counts, but he officially took Buffalo in the on-screen graphics.

ESPN.com

Both Jeremy Fowler and Seth Wickersham were broke rank and picked the Bucs to beat Detroit a few weeks ago. That's probably the last time the national media leans toward picking Tampa Bay until the team proves they're worth backing.

Sports Illustrated - MMQB

It was a clean sweep of experts who picked against the Bucs against Detroit and once again MMQB is going all-in against Tampa Bay.

CBS Sports

Pete Prisco was the lone hold out a few weeks ago, and his reward for believing in Tampa Bay was a 20-6 thumping. As the Bucs face their next big test in a measuring stick game, they'll stand alone as every CBS Sports expert is going with Buffalo.

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