Both of these franchises will look to avoid dropping back to .500 overall on the season in a rematch of the 2023-24 NFC Wild Card game that took place back in January. Injuries continue to mount for the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1), as they will likely be without their top two wideouts here in Week 4. On the other side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) want to bounce back quickly after a tough home loss to Denver last Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 29th at Raymond James Stadium.
Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert rose to the occasion in a big way on the road in New Orleans last weekend, as the pair combined for over 300 total yards of offense in the absence of Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown. The Bucs are hoping for similar production from Rachaad White and Mike Evans after back to back subpar performances, although Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving have certainly stepped up with back to back impressive outings in the meantime.
There are still a ton of question marks on offense for the Eagles, as Devonta Smith was on the wrong end of a vicious hit in the second half against the Saints and still has not been cleared to practice after suffering a concussion. A.J. Brown looks to be even less likely to play, as a lingering hamstring injury continues to cause issues for the veteran wideout. The most likely scenario in this case appears to be two full weeks of extra rest for both players, as Philadelphia has their bye week coming up and may not want to risk any further injuries to their top two wideouts.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Eagles listed as 2.5-point road favorites. The spread has narrowed by a full point after early betting, as Philadelphia is currently available at -1.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 44 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised on FOX. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Philadelphia Eagles Pull Off Gutsy Comeback Late
Despite struggling to put points on the board all afternoon on the road against a surging Saints squad, Philadelphia managed to overcome multiple injuries to star players en route to an impressive 15-12 comeback victory. While Devonta Smith had a solid first half before being forced to exit the game, it was the duo of Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley that stole the show on offense.
After a quiet first two weeks of the season, Goedert exploded for a ridiculous 170 receiving yards on a game-high ten catches. Not to be outdone, Barkley was electric on the ground, racking up 147 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. As a whole, the offense generated almost 500 total yards even without the presence of their top two wideouts.
The Eagles defense finally turned in a strong outing after a rocky start to the regular season, limiting a New Orleans team that had scored 30+ points in back to back games to just 12 total points. Philadelphia was especially strong slowing down the Saints through the air, picking off QB Derek Carr once while also holding him to just 142 passing yards.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Embarrassed At Home By Broncos
Hardly anything went right for the Bucs at home in Week 3 despite heading into the game as big favorites against the struggling Broncos, as Tampa Bay fell behind 20-7 in the first half and never recovered. QB Baker Mayfield had his worst game of the year despite a high completion percentage, as the veteran threw an interception and only managed 163 total yards through the air.
Rachaad White continued to struggle rushing the ball out of the backfield, averaging only 2.8 yards per rushing attempt. Rookie fourth round draft pick Bucky Irving has already significantly cut into White’s role and actually led the team in rushing against Denver, scampering for 70 yards on just nine total carries.
The Buccaneers defense wasn’t really the issue against the Broncos, as they only surrendered a couple of touchdowns the entire game. Tampa Bay really did a great job defending against the pass, as the secondary only allowed a single Denver player to record more than 40 yards receiving.
Our Eagles vs Buccaneers Week 4 NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
This looks like it should be one of the most entertaining matchups on the entire schedule here in Week 4, as Saquon Barkley has been a human highlight reel to start the 2024-25 regular season while the receiving duo of Evans and Godwin can find the end zone from pretty much anywhere on the field.
It seems that both Brown and Smith will watch from the sidelines here in Week 4, which certainly severely impacts the Philadelphia offense. As impressive as the outings from both Barkley and Goedert were in Week 3, I have a hard time imagining that Tampa Bay will allow those two players to beat them single-handedly after watching game film all week.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Buccaneers +1.5
This spread does look pretty efficient overall, so I’m not sure how much value there is with either side against the spread in this particular spot. However, I think a legitimate case can be made for taking the Bucs to cover at home as a slight underdog, as the Eagles have extreme depth issues at the receiver position in a game that could easily come down to a single big play being the difference for either side.
Both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have above average matchups at home this weekend, so look for at least one of them to break a big play against a Philadelphia secondary that has looked suspect at times through the first full month of the season. As long as Tampa Bay can find a way to contain Barkley somewhat on the ground, I like the home favorite to cover this tight spread at home. Take the Bucs and the points!
