Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Week 7 Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
Bears vs. Buccaneers NFL Week 7 Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
The nationally televised game in the late-afternoon time slot this week features the Chicago Bears taking on the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Considering that the NFL betting odds have the home team favored by double-digits, it’s hard to say that this game really lives up to the “America’s Game of the Week” billing. At least all of the Tom Brady fans will be happy. Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Justin Fields will get to try and show a national audience what he is capable of in this Bears vs Buccaneers showdown.
Bears vs. Buccaneers Week 7 NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
Chicago Bears (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS)
Date: Sunday, October 24, 2021
Start Time: 4:25 PM EST
Location: Raymond James Stadium — Tampa, FL
TV Coverage: CBS
Chicago Bears Preview
After picking up an upset win on the road over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, it was an all too familiar feeling for the Bears and their fans last week. Yes, Chicago, Aaron Rodgers still owns you. Too soon? Sorry, my bad. While the Bears defense played well last Sunday in slowing down Rodgers and the Packers offense for most of the game, Chicago’s offense is hard-pressed to score 24 points as currently constructed. The combination of playing to win football games while breaking in a very raw rookie quarterback doesn’t typically go well. Justin Fields completed just 16 of 27 pass attempts in last week’s defeat. He has only surpassed the 200-yard mark through the air once in his first four NFL starts.
The Bears’ backfield has gone from a solid position at the start of the season to an injury-marred rotation. With both David Montgomery (injury) and Damien Williams (virus) out last week, it was rookie Khalil Herbert who saw the majority of touches. He played well, rushing for 97 yards and a score. Such numbers will be extremely difficult to replicate in Sunday’s NFL betting contest against a Tampa defense that allows just 54.8 rushing yards per game to opponents. While few teams have offered much resistance to the high-flying Bucs offense thus far, the Bears might be a team capable of making Tampa Bay earn every point. The injury statuses of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, linebacker Khalil Mack, and corner Tashaun Gipson Jr. will all be worth monitoring ahead of Sunday’s game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
It was clear to many NFL betting analysts that the reigning Super Bowl champs would once again be one of the best teams this season. After all, the Buccaneers did manage to return all 22 starters from last year’s championship roster. While Tampa Bay has had relatively little trouble in winning five of their first six games to start the year, they have not been as strong against the spread. The Bucs have covered just two spreads in their first six outings. Of course, they have been favored in every game to date and are hefty home favorites once again in Week 7. Perhaps the market has overvalued this team a bit though.
Even at the ripe age of 44, Tom Brady is well on his way to having one of the best statistical seasons of his storied NFL career. He fell just three yards shy of 300 through the air in last Thursday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles. With two touchdown passes in that game, Brady now has 17 through the first six games. Antonio Brown was the go-to target for TB12 last week, finishing with nine catches for 93 yards and a score. The backfield now clearly belongs to Leonard Fournette, as it rightfully should. He scored a pair of rushing TDs last week. While the Bucs weakness defensively is their injury-plagued secondary, it’s hard to envision Justin Fields lighting them up in Sunday’s NFL betting matchup.
Bears vs. Buccaneers Betting Odds and Line Movement
The following table displays the best Bears vs Buccaneers NFL betting odds and lines available in the market.
| Team | Moneyline | ML Implied Win Probability | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | +550 | 15.4% | +12.5 (-110) | O 47 (-110) |
| Buccaneers | -588 | 85.5% | -12.5 (+100) | U 47 (+100) |
Lookahead lines originally tabbed the Buccaneers as a 10-point home favorite for this game. Market action has driven the lineup two and a half points to the current 12.5-point spread. While the spread has grown larger, the total has actually done the opposite. After oddsmakers opened this game at 49, the over/under has ticked down two points to the current line of 47.
Despite the reputation of the Bucs given that they are the defending Super Bowl champs, the ticket count for this Week 7 NFL betting contest is actually more even than some might think. 57% of bets are on Tampa Bay laying the points. The Bears have a reputation as being a heavily-bet team by the public. Despite being an ugly underdog with just a 15% chance of winning according to the odds, Chicago is still attracting a decent amount of public bets.
Bears vs. Buccaneers Betting Picks and Prediction
While the Buccaneers are clearly the more talented team in this matchup, it’s hard to get excited about laying over a dozen points with an NFL betting favorite. Given the Bucs’ struggles to cover point spreads so far this season, that is a scary proposition for bettors, no matter the talent disparity between the two teams. Assuming their key contributors will be available on Sunday, the Bears’ defense is capable of at least keeping this one competitive.
That being said, Chicago could very well struggle to score much more than 10 points in this game. The Bears’ offensive line is simply no match for the stacked defensive front of Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ shaky secondary play gets a bit of a reprieve in this one with Justin Fields under center. It’s impossible to trust him to make big plays any given week, especially against an experienced defense. Coordinator Todd Bowles loves to blitz, and he has to be licking his chops ahead of this game with the opportunity to put heat on the rookie. The Bears’ contribution to the total points in this game will be slim to none. That makes an NFL betting play on the under the preferred lean.
Bears vs Buccaneers NFL Betting Picks: Under 47 (+100)
Henry has had a passion for sports that few can match for as long as he can remember. What started out as a five-year-old taking interest in the New York Jets and their green jerseys has since become a full-fledged career as a writer and sports betting analyst. His coverage primarily includes the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, and college basketball. In 2020, he ranked among the top-10 most accurate experts ATS in the BettingPros NFL season contest. You can follow Henry’s sports work on Twitter and other social media platforms @HankTimeSports.