The Chicago Bears will try to extend their winning streak to four games when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Soldier Field for a key NFC matchup on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
Both teams enter the Week 9 contest with momentum. Tampa Bay shut out the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 in Week 8 and has now won two games in a row. Chicago is coming off an emphatic 34-17 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
The Buccaneers sit at 3-5 and are tied for second place in the NFC South. They have been competent away from home this season, posting a 2-1 record on the road. The Bears, at 6-2, hold second place in the NFC North and have won three of their four home games in 2026.
Tampa Bay could be short-handed in the passing game. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is listed as questionable because of a foot injury.
Oddsmakers favor the home team. Chicago is a 6-point favorite in the latest betting lines, and the over/under for total points scored is set at 46.5.
SportsLine's projection model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has weighed in on the matchup. The model is up more than $5,000 for $100 players on its top-rated NFL picks since its inception, and it entered Week 9 of the 2026 season on a 60-51 run on top-rated selections dating back to 2024.
After running its simulations, the model is leaning toward the Over on the total. History supports that angle: the Over has hit in four of the last seven head-to-head meetings between the teams, in two of Tampa Bay's last three games, and in each of Chicago's last three games. It is also 3-2 in Bears games when the opposing offense averages between 21 and 25 points per game.
The quarterback stories are notable on both sides. Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield did not complete a pass in last week's win, but for the season he has connected on 61.8% of his throws for 679 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Bucky Irving drives the Buccaneers' ground game with 147 carries for 728 yards, a 5.0-yard average, and five touchdowns. Chicago is led by quarterback Caleb Williams, who in five starts is completing 70.9% of his passes for 1,267 yards and six touchdowns.
In total, the model projects 49 combined points, with the Over cashing in 54% of its simulations. It also found that one side of the spread covers in more than 50% of simulations, a pick it has made available through SportsLine rather than publicly.
