1999 · Week 8 · Division

Final

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay

QB Eric Zeier

3·20

Lions

Detroit

QB Charlie Batch

Pontiac Silverdome · dome · astroturf

Closing spread

TB -2.5

Total

35

Model margin

+0.1est.

DET perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Lions
  • Buccaneers

How each play moved the game.

Lions winsBuccaneers wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Buccaneersedge mapLions
  • -0.149EPA / play-0.057
  • 35.1%Success rate38.8%
  • -0.110EPA / dropback+0.024
  • -0.193EPA / rush-0.222
  • 7.7%Explosive rate8.4%
  • 35.3%Third-down rate35.5%
  • 37.2%Red-zone TD rate61.8%
  • 1.03Points / drive1.19
  • 3.3%Turnover rate2.0%
  • -0.164EPA / play allowed-0.055

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

TB lead 11–10 since 1999

Meetings average 41.3 points. DET are 14-7 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W7TB @ DET924DET
2024 · W2TB @ DET2016TB
2023 · playoffsTB @ DET2331DET
2023 · W6DET @ TB206DET
2020 · W16TB @ DET477TB
2019 · W15TB @ DET3817TB
2017 · W14DET @ TB2421DET
2014 · W14TB @ DET1734DET

Box score

Individual performances

Buccaneers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Eric Zeier29/4325600

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Warrick Dunn9333.70
Eric Zeier372.30

Lions

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Charlie Batch10/1912800

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Greg Hill161237.70
Charlie Batch5153.00
Sedrick Irvin252.51

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Johnnie Morton34540
David Sloan23360
Sedrick Irvin23190
Germane Crowell1380
Brian Stablein1420
Greg Hill0100

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -2.52.7%4.4%2.9%7.3%7.4%2.9%4.4%2.7%

Positive margins favour Lions; negative favour Buccaneers.

Half-point at risk

2.11%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

49.2%

Expected total

42.6est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-0.84
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment-1.67
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+0.05