Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Los Angeles Chargers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/15/24

On Sunday, December 15th, the Chargers will host the Buccaneers at 4:25 ET. The Chargers are the favorite with their money line at -158, and the game is being televised on FOX. The Buccaneers are +3 point underdogs on the road. The over/under line is set at 46.5 points for this non-conference matchup at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS VS LOS ANGELES CHARGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3

This game will be played at SoFi Stadium at 4:25 ET on Sunday, December 15th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS:

• We have the Buccaneers winning this one by a score of 27 to 26
• Not only do we have the Buccaneers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +3
• Look for this game to go over the line of 46.5 points

Will The Buccaneers Pick Up A Win On The Road?

The Buccaneers have now won three straight games, including a 28-13 victory over the Raiders in week 14. This win improved their record to 7-6, putting them in first place in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has a +4.2 scoring margin this season and is 8-5 against the spread. Their O/U record is also 8-5, with their games averaging 51.7 points.

Our power rankings have the Bucs 10th heading into week 15, and they have a 76% chance of making the playoffs and a 73.9% chance of winning the division. They are 4-2 on the road this season and 3-4 at home. In division games, they are 2-2, and they have a 6-3 record against NFC opponents.

Heading into week 15, the Buccaneers are 9th in our offensive power rankings. They are 5th in the NFL in points per game (27.9) and 3rd in yards per game (379.3). Tampa Bay has been strong on 3rd down, converting 47.2% of their attempts, which ranks 2nd in the league. They lead the NFL in 1st quarter scoring, averaging 7.5 points.

Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards (18/29) and 3 touchdowns in week 14 against the Raiders, despite 2 interceptions and 4 sacks. Rachaad White rushed for 90 yards on 17 carries, while Cade Otton led the team with 70 receiving yards. Tampa Bay scored 14 points in both the 1st and 4th quarters, converting all 3 of their red zone opportunities.

In their 28-13 win over the Raiders, the Buccaneers’ defense was stingy, allowing just 13 points. They defended the pass well, giving up only 195 yards through the air and not allowing a passing touchdown. Tampa Bay also picked off one pass and held the Raiders to a 30.8% third-down conversion rate.

Against the run, the Buccaneers gave up just 91 yards on 25 attempts. They had two sacks and limited Las Vegas to 3.6 yards per attempt on the ground. Despite this, Tampa Bay did lose the tackles for loss and quarterback hit differentials in the game.

Will The Chargers Win At Home Over The Buccaneers?

At 8-5, the Chargers have a 90.5% chance of making the playoffs, but they have no shot at winning the AFC West. They rank 13th in our power rankings and 6th in the AFC standings. Against the spread, LA is 9-3-1, including an 8-1 record as favorites. Their O/U record is 4-9, with the under hitting in two straight games.

After a week 13 win over the Falcons, the Chargers couldn’t get past the Chiefs in week 14, but they did cover the 4.5-point spread, losing by just 2 points. The O/U line was 43, and the teams combined for 36 points. Before that, the over had hit in two straight Chargers games.

Justin Herbert posted a passer rating of 101 in week 14, completing 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs. Herbert has gone three straight games without an interception. Joshua Palmer led the team with 6 catches for 78 yards in week 14, while Gus Edwards had 36 rushing yards on 10 carries. The Chargers scored 14 points in the 3rd quarter but were held to just 3 points in the 4th.

Heading into week 15, the Chargers rank 15th in our offensive power rankings. They are 18th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 21.3 points per game, and 24th in passing yards, with 198.1 per game. On the ground, they average 111.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 19th in the league.

In the Chargers’ 19-17 loss to the Chiefs, they allowed 202 passing yards on 24 completions. The Chargers’ defense played well against the run, allowing just 96 yards on 25 attempts. They also recorded three sacks and held the Chiefs to a 3.8 yards per attempt average on the ground. Despite this, the Chargers allowed the Chiefs to convert on 53.3% of their third down attempts.

The Chargers’ defense limited the Chiefs to 298 total yards and 19 points, but they did give up one passing touchdown. Los Angeles also had a positive quarterback hit differential of +6, even though they lost the tackles for loss battle.