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Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Odds, Picks, Predictions Week 16: Will Bucs' Struggles Continue on Christmas Day?

Connor Cooper

Last Updated: December 25, 2022 12:05 PM EST • 2 min 24 sec read.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals will conclude a special three-game NFL slate on Christmas Day when they meet for Sunday Night Football. Check out our top Buccaneers-Cardinals NFL picks.

Just when you think the Buccaneers are starting to get on a roll, they find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. That happened again last week as the Bucs roared out to an early 17-0 lead over the Bengals, only to surrender the next 34 points in a 34-23 loss that dropped them to 6-8 on the year.

Arizona only wishes it could build a big lead in the first place, stumbling into this Christmas Day matchup in the basement of the NFC West with a 4-10 record. The Cardinals have lost seven of their last nine games, the latest being a 24-15 defeat last week in Denver.

Here is our best Buccaneers vs. Cardinals NFL pick for Week 16 (odds via ; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NFL best bets, our Buccaneers vs. Cardinals SGP Picks, and our Sunday Night Football Player Prop Picks.

Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Game Info

Date: Sunday, Dec. 25, 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Weather: 73 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 2-mph winds

Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Odds

Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Odds Analysis

Tampa Bay was originally a 3-point favorite on the lookahead lines, but the line jumped to Bucs -6 when Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray tore his ACL in Week 14.

The spread went even higher after news broke that Arizona backup Colt McCoy was also injured, settling at a consensus of 7.5 (although some sportsbooks make the line -9 to protect themselves against teasers on Tampa Bay). More than 80% of the early action on the handle has supported the visiting Bucs.

The total has settled at 40.5 across the majority of notable sportsbooks, with 58% of money and 54% of tickets backing the Under.

Check out our NFL Best Bets and all of our top NFL Picks for Week 16.      

Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Pick

Over 40.5 (-107) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A mediocre offense has been the biggest reason for Tampa Bay’s struggles this year, but the defense is suddenly a huge concern as well. The Bucs have given up 69 points in their last two games and now rank near the middle of the pack in points allowed, surrendering an average of 20.6 points per contest.

Even though third-string quarterback Trace McSorley will be making his first career start for the Cardinals, he does have weapons that can exploit the Tampa Bay defense. Running back James Conner and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown are expected to be in the lineup together for one of the few times this season.

While Tampa Bay’s defensive issues are relatively new, Arizona has had trouble stopping opponents all season. The Cardinals rank dead last in the NFL in scoring defense, giving up nearly 27 points per game, and they’ve gone Over the total in seven of their last eight games.

Buccaneers vs. Cardinals Best Odds

PointsBet (-107)

BetMGMCaesarsDraftKingsFanDuelPointsBet
O 40.5 (-110)O 40.5 (-110)O 40.5 (-110)O 40.5 (-110)O 40.5 (-110)

There's no edge being offered on this play by any of the five marquee sportsbooks as of Sunday morning; PointsBet was hanging -107 on most lines and totals for Saturday's games, but that doesn't appear to be happening Sunday.

Buccaneers-Cardinals pick made 12/23/2022 at 10:40 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Connor Cooper
Connor Cooper has written about sports in various capacities for more than 20 years, including as a newspaper reporter, sports handicapper, and betting analyst. He originates hockey plays every day throughout the NHL season, regularly bets his own opinions on NFL and college football, and relies on handicappers he trusts to find daily action in basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, and golf. A diehard Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan growing up in the Toronto area, Connor quickly shed all his allegiances once he realized that making money betting on sports was much more fun than cheering for his favorite team. Connor won’t hesitate to bet on — or against — anybody if that’s where the value lies. In addition to analyzing recent and season-long statistics, Connor always looks to account for the human element when breaking down games, weighing situational and motivational factors into his handicapping process. He's also a big believer in finding creative ways to generate more value, constantly scouring BetMGM, Caesar, FanDuel, and other regulated sportsbooks' derivative markets such as team totals, alternate lines, and player props.