Who's Playing

Atlanta (home) vs. Tampa Bay (away)

Current Records: Atlanta 3-7; Tampa Bay 3-7

What to Know

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to shore up a defense that is allowing 31.3 points per game. Tampa Bay and the Atlanta Falcons will face off in an NFC South battle at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tampa Bay has some work to do to even out the 1-5 series between these two since September of 2016, but a win here would be a good start.

Last week, the Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints by a decisive 34-17 margin. One thing working slightly against Tampa Bay was the run-of-the-mill game of their most targeted running back, RB Ronald Jones, who rushed for 13 yards on four carries.

Meanwhile, Atlanta made easy work of the Carolina Panthers and carried off a 29-3 victory. The team accrued the bulk of their points in the first half (20) and coasted on those for the win.

Atlanta's defense was a presence, and it made life painful for the QB and got past Carolina's offensive line for a total of five sacks for a loss of 19 yards. Leading the way was DE Adrian Clayborn and his two sacks.

Atlanta's victory lifted them to 3-7 while Tampa Bay's defeat dropped them down to 3-7. Two numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Atlanta enters the contest with 319.1 passing yards per game on average, good for second best in the NFL. Less enviably, the Buccaneers are second worst in the league in passing yards allowed per game, with 307.3 on average. So the Tampa Bay squad has its work cut out for it.

How To Watch

  • When: Sunday at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- Atlanta, Georgia
  • TV: FOX
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $35.00

Odds

The Falcons are a 3.5-point favorite against the Buccaneers.

Vegas had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Falcons as a 4-point favorite.

Over/Under: 52

See NFL picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Atlanta have won five out of their last eight games against Tampa Bay.

  • Dec 30, 2018 - Atlanta 34 vs. Tampa Bay 32
  • Oct 14, 2018 - Atlanta 34 vs. Tampa Bay 29
  • Dec 18, 2017 - Atlanta 24 vs. Tampa Bay 21
  • Nov 26, 2017 - Atlanta 34 vs. Tampa Bay 20
  • Nov 03, 2016 - Atlanta 43 vs. Tampa Bay 28
  • Sep 11, 2016 - Tampa Bay 31 vs. Atlanta 24
  • Dec 06, 2015 - Tampa Bay 23 vs. Atlanta 19
  • Nov 01, 2015 - Tampa Bay 23 vs. Atlanta 20

Top Projected Fantasy Players

  • Julio Jones: 14.42 points
  • Matt Ryan: 25.67 points
  • Mike Evans: 12.42 points