Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 7, 2025
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7 in 2024) will face the Atlanta Falcons (8-9 in 2024) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 7th, 1:00 PM ET, airing on FOX for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season. These teams are both hoping to be competing for the NFC South crown this year with some quality players. Let’s take a closer look at what we should expect heading into this game. Kickoff clarity: NFL predictions for Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons in plain terms.
Buccaneers Ready to Roll
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the best teams in the NFL last season with a 10-7 record, and are buying into this roster in a major way. The offense has seen additions as they continue to add weapons for Baker Mayfield to throw the football to.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards with 41 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. Now, with the wide receiver trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and rookie Emeka Egbuka, this team is going to be one of the top passing offenses in the entire sport.
Defensively, the Buccaneers are looking to take a step in the right direction as they added LB Haason Reddick during the offseason to help the front seven be a force going forward. He had just one sack last season for the Jets, but recorded double digits in sacks in four straight seasons before 2024. They are expected to have third-round rookie Jacob Parrish in the starting secondary.
Injury Report for Tampa Bay
Nose tackle Vita Vea: Foot (Questionable)
Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs: Knee (Questionable)
Safety Christian Izien: Oblique (Questionable)
Cornerback Benjamin Morrison: Quad (Questionable)
Wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr: Ankle (Doubtful)
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Falcons Ready for Youth to Take Over
The Atlanta Falcons missed the playoffs last season with an 8-9 record and now will be in a different position altogether. They are entering the second season of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after he became the starter when the team benched Kirk Cousins. Penix played in just five games last season, completing 58.1% of his passes for 775 yards with three TDs and three picks.
The offense will be in an interesting spot as they look to have a lot of intriguing players on this side of the ball with wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running back Bijan Robinson all looking to step up before needing to get paid off their rookie contract. With the team having some solid pieces, there should be improvement in 2024.
The defense has a lot of familiar faces from last season, while adding some quality talent on the edge with James Pearce Jr and Jalon Walker rushing the quarterback. With rookies helping out on this side of the ball and having one of the more talented secondaries in the sport, this is a chance for Atlanta to step up.
Injury Report for Atlanta
- Wide receiver Darnell Mooney: Shoulder (Questionable)
- Cornerback Clark Phillips III: Rib (Questionable)
- Safety DeMarcco Hellams: Hamstring (Questionable)
- Offensive lineman Jack Nelson: Calf (Questionable)
- Linebacker Troy Andersen: Knee (OUT)
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Pick
Spread pick for Bucs vs. Falcons
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1.5 (5 units)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are stepping up going into this season and have a real chance of being the number-one seed in the NFC. Atlanta has not been able to take advantage of the talent on the field and parlay it into playoff success. However, Baker Mayfield has a bevy of weapons at his disposal to throw the ball to. Tampa Bay’s defense improved with Haason Reddick's signing this offseason. Even if left tackle Tristan Wirfs misses this game, the Bucs have the coaching edge and the edge at quarterback. In Week 1, that is a major part of the game, so go with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to cover.
Over/Under Pick for Bucs vs. Falcons
- Under 47.5 (4 units)
There will be a lot of chances to score, but with this being a Week 1 game, I do not expect the offense to be too crisp to the point that they continue to find the end zone. The Bucs could be without Chris Godwin and the Falcons could be without Darnell Mooney, making the more underappreciated wide receivers face off against tougher matchups. The defensive lines should be able to limit what Bijan Robinson and Bucky Irving can do as well. All in all, go with the under.
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