The Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) kickoff the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs with a roadtrip to Tampa to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) in the NFC Wild Card round. While the NFL Playoffs offer a clean slate, Monday’s game is a tale of two teams that are trending in the opposite directions. The No. 4 seed Buccaneers enter the NFC Wild Card round as winners of five of their last six to close out the 2023-24 NFL regular season. Meanwhile, the Eagles have been leaking oil for the last 10-weeks or so and capped off the season losing five of their final six games.
Injuries and weather will be the stories to watch for on Monday night.
The game will be affected by showers and thunderstorms, according to the latest reports from the National Weather Service. As for the injuries, the Birds will be without DB Reed Blankenship, WR AJ Brown, and DB Sydney Brown due to injuries. Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts has been hampered by a dislocated finger on his throwing hand and WR DeVonta Smith is coming off an ankle injury. Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield has been dealing with injured ribs and an ankle injury for the past few weeks.
Here’s how to watch, betting odds, and more for the Eagles vs. Bucs NFC Wild Card Game!
How to Watch Eagles vs. Bucs NFC Wild Card Game
- No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- When: Monday, January 15, 2024
- Where: Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Florida
- Kickoff: 8:15 PM/EST
- Game Day Weather: 68-degrees, 98% chance of rain
- Telecast: ABC/ESPN with Joe Buck (PxP) and Troy Aikman (analyst)
- Broadcast: 94.1 WIP-FM with Merrill Reese (PxP) and Mike Quick (analyst)
- Regular Season Records: Eagles (11-6) | TB (9-8)
- Opening Betting Odds: Eagles (-200)
- Opening Point Spread: Eagles (-2.5)
Eagles vs. Bucs Betting Odds
| Bet | PHI | TB | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -150 | +125 |  |
| Point Spread | -3 (-105) | +3 (-115) | |
| Total Points | Over 43-Points (-110) | Under 43- Points (-110) | |
Path to the NFL Playoffs: How They Got Here
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers began the 2023-24 NFL season with a 4-7 record and proceeded to win five of their final six games to finish 8-9. Thanks to tiebreakers, the Bucs claimed their third consecutive NFC South title despite having the same record as the New Orleans Saints.
No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles began the 2023-24 NFL season 10-1 and proceeded to become the first team since the 1986 New York Jets to finish with less than 12 wins. The Eagles are limping into the 2023-24 NFL playoffs as losers of five of their last six games. During that stretch, the Eagles’ offense and defense has looked as inept at the 2000 Cherry Hill West Lions.
Eagles vs. Bucs: Five Things to Watch
- Injuries are affecting the Eagles at the wrong time. The Birds will be without DB Reed Blankenship, WR AJ Brown, and DB Sydney Brown due to injuries. QB Jalen Hurts is also nursing a dislocated finger on his throwing hand and WR DeVonta Smith is returning from an ankle injury. Good times!
- Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield is nursing injured ribs and a dinged ankle heading into the NFC Wild Card Game. Mayfield, a mobile threat, hasn’t looked like himself the past few weeks for Tampa.
- Trending Up: Tampa Bay has won five of six heading into the NFC Wild Card round.
- Trending Down: Philadelphia has lost five of six heading into Monday’s game including embarrassing losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
- Sirianni’s Last Stand: There are a lot of big time free agent coaches on the market right now. While it seems obscene, Birds’ head coach Nick Sirianni could be coaching for his job on Monday.
Eagles vs. Bucs Prediction
Look, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could 1000% blowout the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. And if that were the outcome it shouldn’t surprise anyone.
That being said, the Eagles’ injuries might help them in this game. AJ Brown is out, Jalen Hurts is nursing a finger issue on his throwing hand, and DeVonta Smith is likely not 100% with an ankle sprain. That sets up for a perfect recipe TO RUN THE FOOTBALL! While they’re clearly a completely different team, the Eagles rushed for 201 yards and dominated time of possession — 38:55 to 21:05 — in a Week 3 25-11 win.
The game plan should be the same on Monday night. It will also allow the Eagles’ defense to not be on the field because they’re dreck.
