Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) take the best record in the NFC to Motown tonight for a game against Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions (4-2).
The top of the NFC is crowded through the season’s first seven weeks, but no team has consistently been better than Tampa Bay. Despite injuries ravaging their offensive line and their receiving corps, Todd Bowles and Mayfield have set the pace atop the conference. Just a game behind them is last season’s top seed, the Detroit Lions. However, the NFC North appears to be far more competitive than the NFC South making this game all the more important for Goff and his head coach, Dan Campbell.
A win tonight and the Bucs tie their best 7-game start in franchise history (6-1 in 2021). A win also sets the Bucs’ franchise record with wins in their first four road games of the season. For their part, the Lions are looking to rebound from last week’s loss in Kansas City. A loss by Detroit, however, would mean their first back-to-back losses since October of 2022.
This will be the fourth time these teams have met in the last three seasons including the playoffs. Detroit has won two of the three games.
Lets take a deeper dive into this week’s matchup between the Buccaneers and the Lions.
NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from DraftKings, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.
Game Details and How to watch the Buccaneers vs. Lions live Monday
- Date: Monday, October 20, 2025
- Time: 7:00PM EST
- Site: Ford Field
- City: Detroit, MI
- Network/Streaming: ABC
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Game odds for the Buccaneers at the Lions
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+230), Detroit Lions (-285)
- Spread: Lions -6
- Total: 53.5 points
This game opened at Lions -4.5 with the Game Total set at 53.0.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule!
Quarterback Matchup for Tampa Bay at Detroit
- Buccaneers Starting QB: Baker Mayfield
Last Game: 10/12 vs. San Francisco - 17-23, 256yds, 2TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 1 time, 3 carries for 14yds rushing
Season Totals: 6GP, 129-195, 1539yds, 12TDs, 1 INT, Sacked 10 times, 22 carries for 158yds rushing - Lions Starting QB: Jared Goff
Last Game: 10/12 at Kansas City - 23-29, 203yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 1 time, 1 carry for 7yds rushing
Season Totals: 6GP, 132-174, 1390yds, 14TDs, 2 INTs, Sacked 9 times, 9 carries for 16yds rushing
Buccaneers at Lions team stats, betting trends
- The Lions have won 4 of their last 5 games against NFC South teams
- The Buccaneers have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games
- Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield is currently tied for the 2nd -shortest odds (+300) to win NFL MVP alongside BUF’s Josh Allen and behind only Patrick Mahomes (+175)
- Lions RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are the only RB duo in the NFL this season each with 4+ rush TD
- Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has 6 rec TD this season
Buccaneers Player Injuries
- WR Mike Evans (hamstring) is questionable for tonight’s game
- WR Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) is questionable for tonight’s game
- LB LaVonte David (knee) is questionable for tonight’s game
- QB Teddy Bridgewater (illness) is questionable for tonight’s game
- RB Josh Williams (concussion) has been ruled out of tonight’s game
- OT Luke Haggard (shoulder) has been ruled out of tonight’s game
- WR Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) has been ruled out of tonight’s game
Lions Player Injuries
- CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder) has been ruled out for tonight’s game
- S Kerby Joseph (knee) has been ruled out for tonight’s game
- RB Sione Vaki groin) has been ruled out for tongiht’s game
- DT DJ Reader (back) is questionable for tonight’s game
- LT Taylor Decker (shoulder) is questionable for tonight’s game
- G Miles Frazier (undisclosed) has been declared out for tonight’s game
- S Brian Branch (suspended) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
- CB Avonte Maddox (hamstring) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Rotoworld Bet Best Bets
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, stadium information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between the Buccaneers and the Lions:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at +4.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 52.0.
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