Lions vs. Bucs Final Score Predictions: Will Detroit avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in years?

The Detroit Lions are coming off a tough loss, which has Dan Campbell and Co. looking to get back on track against a red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers team on Monday Night Football.

The good news is the Lions have history on their side: They haven't lost back-to-back games since the 2022 season. It's been three calendar years since the last time the Lions lost consecutive matchups.

That's pretty impressive and it reflects the gritty, never-say-die mentality Campbell has instilled during his time as head coach. Detroit won't back down from any challenge and that should make tonight's game a fun one.

In order to get both sides of the coin, A to Z Tampa Bay's Evan Winter has joined the chat to give his thoughts on who wins or loses this game. With all that being said, let's dive in.

Lions 38, Bucs 35

The Lions are going into this game with a completely brand new secondary. Injuries have gone full scorched Earth in that department. It's going to give the Bucs a real advantage for sure and there is no doubt that Baker Mayfield is going to put some explosive plays on the board.

At the same time, the Lions have a strong linebacker corps and their defensive line is top five in pressures and sacks and that's before they get back one of the best pass rushing interior defensive linemen in the game back in Alim McNeill. This team should be able to get to Mayfield and if they can keep him from getting mobile and cover just long enough, they could do some damage.

On offense, the Lions get back their starting left tackle Taylor Decker and they have one of the NFL's most most explosive offenses right now and the Bucs have allowed their fair share of big plays this year. With all that said, this could be a total shootout. I'm taking the home team on this one. I trust the Lions offense more than I do the Bucs.

- Mike Payton, A to Z Detroit

Bucs 31, Lions 28

Like Mike said, get your popcorn ready for tonight. This game has shootout written all over it and while yes, injuries play a big role, we're simply talking about two of the NFL's best offenses going head-to-head in a dome, where weather has zero factor in how things play out.

On the Bucs' side of things, Mike Evans should play and I think Emeka Egbuka does, too. It frankly doesn't matter, however, as Baker Mayfield has been playing at an MVP level. The dude has made so many clutch plays on the ground and through the air and the key part is they've come when the Bucs have needed them the most. Mike Jordan should return to the offensive line, as well, giving the Bucs the strongest front five combination they've had all year.

The key will be running the ball. The Bucs don't have to pound the rock 40 times or anything like that - they just need to run it at an efficient clip. If that happens then Mayfield and Co. should have their way all night long.

For the defense, yes they've given up big plays. However, the secondary returns Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison to the lineup and Jamel Dean is one of the NFL's best corners, right now. It'll be interesting to see how third-round rookie Jacob Parrish does when he lines up across from Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot. That's definitely a matchup to watch.

Up front, the pass rush is coming off its strongest game of the year after it sacked Mac Jones six times in Week 6. The most encouraging aspect of that stat is the Bucs blitzed just 23.9% of the time, which is currently their lowest rate of the season. They'll need that performance again when they take on one of the NFL's best offensive lines.

The run defense is stout, but this is easily the biggest test of the year. The Lions offensive line is no joke and should be able to open up holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, which will only help Jared Goff make plays through the air.

I don't think the Lions will be able to outscore the Bucs, though. The secondary injuries will simply be too much and that will be the determining factor that's not related to turnovers.

– Evan Winter, A to Z Tampa Bay