Miami Dolphins vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction & Picks - NFL

Prediction published on 12/28/25, 9:55 AM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 1/16/26 at 4:45 AM in NFL Picks

The Buccaneers had a chance to win against the Panthers, trailing by 3, but Baker Mayfield had a final drive with plenty of time left. That drive ended in the worst possible way after eight plays, when Mayfield threw a short pass that was intercepted with 49 seconds on the clock, giving Carolina the victory.

With this loss, Tampa Bay's record is now 7-8. Although they are 6-point favorites to beat the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, another Buccaneers loss could deprive them of the postseason for the first time in five seasons.

With this loss, the Buccaneers have only lost in December; against the Saints, Falcons, and Panthers, they lost all those games by no more than 4 points. Although Tampa Bay achieved remarkable efficiency on third down against Carolina, converting 8 of 14, Mayfield himself acknowledged that the large number of offensive penalties was the reason for the loss.

Now Tampa will face Miami, a losing team that's on the opposite trajectory; they won all their games in November before slowing down again and losing to the Steelers and Bengals in Weeks 15 and 16.