An early-season NFC showdown between a pair of contending hopefuls will be front and center of the football universe as the Detroit Lions head to sunny Tampa to take on the Buccaneers. Let's check out our NFL odds series where our Lions-Buccaneers prediction and pick will be revealed.

After a ton of preseason hype which hasn't happened very often in the city of Detroit and their football team, it has been the Lions that have definitely lived up to expectations up to this point. Thus far, the Lions appear to be the clear-cut favorite to take home their first NFC North banner ever and their first division title since 1993. Under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell, this team is no joke! After dropping 42 points on the Panthers a week ago, will the Lions find similar success against the Bucs?

On the other side of things, the first season without Tom Brady under center has been quite the success story with former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield now running the show. Outside of a bad showing against Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago, the Bucs are coming off their much-needed early season bye week and also were able to dispose of the New Orleans Saints rather easily by a score of 26-9. With all of that being said, can the Bucs pass this difficult test versus the Lions with flying colors?

Here are the Lions-Buccaneers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Lions-Buccaneers Odds

Detroit Lions: -3 (-105)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +3 (-115)

Over: 42.5 (-108)

Under: 42.5 (-112)

How to Watch Lions vs. Buccaneers Week 6

Time: 4:25 ET/1:25 PT

TV: Fox

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), NFL Sunday Ticket if out-of-market

Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread

Whether it's playing stout defense on one side or making plays both in the passing and running game on offense, this Lions squad has proved that they have very few weaknesses as a whole. Believe it or not, but since their dreadful 1-6 start during the 2022 regular season, it has been Detroit that has flipped the switch and have gone a remarkable 11-2 in their last 13 games. Clearly, the Lions have been clicking on all cylinders and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

In regards to finding a way to continue their winning trend by stealing an important road win against the Bucs and even covering the spread as a consolation prize, the Lions will ride or die with a bruising offensive line that may be among one of the league's best. Not only is this team not afraid to get dirty within the trenches by running the ball, but the play-action pass orchestrated by QB Jared Goff and the rest of this offense has been close to flawless. Of course, efficiently pounding the rock needs to be a main priority on Sunday versus a Tampa Bay defense that has shown to be stingy against the run. Still, there is no doubt that Goff will need to make some big-time throws down the field to keep the Bucs defense honest if the Lions are planning to have the advantage offensively.

Then again, the chances of this coming true are only increased with the return of superstar wideout Amon Ra. St. Brown who is scheduled to return in this one after missing out on the action last weekend due to an abdomen ailment. With St. Brown back in the fold, he could change the tide of the game in the blink of an eye.

Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread

Not only will coming off the Bye week and receiving some time to heal up prove to be greatly beneficial for this squad, the Buccaneers will be keeping their fingers crossed that they can continue their promising start to the 2023 season.

Outside of the Eagles, the Buccaneers will be in for their stiffest test of the season, but the belief is that this Tampa Bay squad has the talent to compete with anyone on their schedule. For starters, the most daunting part of this roster is a suffocating defense that barely gives offenses enough room to even breathe. In fact, Tampa Bay especially have been tough with their rush defense which could end up paying dividends against a Lions bunch that loves to run the ball. Simply put, the key for the Bucs to win this one and also cover will be to force Detroit to plenty of third-and-longs so they can pin their ears back and hunt for some sacks.

Without a doubt, missing the towering Mike Evans at the wide receiver position hurts the amount of explosive offense plays that the Bucs can conduct, but Baker Mayfield has at least been playing well enough without his favorite target in the passing game. With that being said, the biggest question mark will be whether or not this Tampa Bay offense can make enough plays and keep up the scoring versus a high-octane attack like the one Detroit boasts. If the Buccaneers can get off to a quick start, then that will immediately set the tone for the rest of the game!

Final Lions-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick

Time to pop some popcorn, folks! With the winner of this matchup looking to get an edge in the NFC Standings as a whole, this contest should be intriguing, to say the least. However, Tampa Bay is not at full strength due to injuries and will be in for an uphill climb against a Detroit team that rarely shoots themselves in the foot. Even though they're at home, picking the Lions here is a wise move.

Final Lions-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick: Lions -3 (-105)