Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense lines up against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 25, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Perry Knotts/Getty Images
The Bucs enter the first round of the NFL playoffs as underdogs at home on Monday.
State of play: They're hosting the Philadelphia Eagles, who had been a favorite to reach the Super Bowl for a second straight season before entering a tailspin. The Birds started out 10-1 but finished the regular season 11-6 with an ugly 27-10 loss to the Giants.
- QB Jalen Hurts dislocated a finger in that game, while star wide receiver A.J. Brown injured his knee. Both hope to play against the Bucs.
The odds: Back in September, we lost to Philly at home, 25-11.
- And the Eagles are roughly three-point favorites to beat the Bucs.
- In short, Tampa Bay is going into the postseason as a major long shot for a third Super Bowl championship.
- Las Vegas oddsmakers place the Bucs' odds of winning the title around 75-to-1, while ESPN's projections give the team a 0.4% chance to win it all.
How to watch: Monday, 8pm on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN+.
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