2024 NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview - Tampa Bay vs. Detroit: Which team will advance to the NFC Finals? January 18, 2024 by Marc Jerbs

On Saturday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Detroit Lions in the 2024 NFC Divisional Playoffs. Kick-off is set 3:00PM ET at the Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

The Detroit Lions has a chance to extend its postseason run this season for the first time since 1957. Detroit has been flying under the radar during the season but has somewhat announced their arrival after beating the L.A. Rams during the Wild Card weekend. The Lions have finally developed a productive offense from passing to rushing.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers witnessed Detroit's offensive proficiency when they were beaten 20-6 last October. However, Tampa closed out the season by winning five of their last six games which include an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Monday in their Wild Card matchup. Tampa Bay's offense is imbalanced after QB Tom Brady's retirement but they win game due to their solid all-around defense.

Injury Report

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

PLAYER	POSITION	STATUS
Chase Edmonds	RB	Questionable
Shaquil Barrett	RB	Questionable
Chris Goodwin	WR	Questionable
Yaya Diaby	LB	Questionable

Detroit Lions

PLAYER	POSITION	STATUS
Kalif Raymond	WR	QUESTIONABLE
Frank Ragnow	C	QUESTIONABLE
Alex Anzalone	LB	QUESTIONABLE

Sports Bet Odds

The Lions are the favorites to win the game and advance to the NFC Finals. Here are our latest odds:

• The Lions are favored by 6.5 points, with a money line of -283.
• The Jets are the underdogs by 6.5 points, with a money line of +238.
• The over/under is set at 48.5 points, with the over at -110 and the under at -110.

The Detroit Lions has long embraced as the underdog tag when they face high-caliber team that has a long postseason experience. However, things have change as they are now favorites to forge ahead to the NFC Championship. They are now led by QB Jared Goff and has one of the best running games in the NFL. Clearly, they are the superior team, all they must do is to play up to the best of their abilities.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will rely on the passing plays of QB Baker Mayfield. If Detroit has a weakness, it's the pass defense they struggle. Expect Tampa Bay to deploy their vaunted blitz-heavy strategy to confuse Detroit's offense. If the Buccaneers plays the right mix of offense and defense, they may have a chance to snatch a road win.

Postseason Stats

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6th (11-6) Away (4-4) STRK L2		Detroit Lions 3rd (11-6) Home (5-4) STRK 2W
32.0	Point Per Game	24.0
9.0	Points Allowed	23.0
307	Net Passing Yards	255
119	Rushing Yards	79