Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons Prediction & Picks - NFL

Prediction published on 12/11/25, 4:27 PM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 1/13/26 at 9:11 AM in NFL Picks

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Kickoff on Prime is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. EST.

A few weeks ago, the Buccaneers were in control of the NFC South and looked like a virtual lock to win the division. However, with several key players missing time with injuries in the last few weeks, it became harder for Baker Mayfield to get the offense on track. Consequently, with last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs have dropped five of their last seven games. But with Chris Godwin healthy and Mike Evans getting activated off the IR, maybe the offense can come alive against a Falcons defense that was, at one point during the season, considered one of the best in the NFL (but not anymore). As for the Falcons, back in Week 6 when they dominated the Bills, they looked poised to explode this season. Fast forward to Week 15, Kirk Cousins has been up and down since taking over for an injured Michael Penix Jr., and the run game has been sporadic. When things work, the offense is impressive and fun to watch, but it is hard to tell from one week to the next whether it will be up to the task.