Bears host Buccaneers in clash of streaks as Chicago's offense meets Tampa's ground game

The Chicago Bears bring a three-game winning streak into Sunday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field, and the matchup comes down to a simple question: can Chicago's newly rebuilt defensive front slow the hottest rushing attack in the league? Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

As CBS Sports laid out in its preview, Tampa Bay has won two straight on the ground. The Buccaneers ran for 258 yards in a 43-13 rout of Carolina and then 324 in a rain-soaked 16-0 shutout of Atlanta. In that game they became the first team since 1974 to win without completing a pass. Bucky Irving ran for a career-high 170 yards against the Falcons, his third 100-yard game in four weeks, and Kenneth Gainwell added a career-best 140 on 25 carries. The Buccaneers started 0-4, but CBS Sports reports they now lead the NFL in rushing yards and in fewest rushing yards allowed.

Chicago's answer starts with Jeffery Simmons. In his first game since the trade from Tennessee, the defensive tackle had six tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup in last week's 34-17 win at Seattle. The Seahawks finished with 252 yards. On offense, Caleb Williams has completed 73.8% of his passes over the past three games, with four touchdowns, no interceptions and 287 yards per game. The Bears have put up 31, 30 and 34 points in that stretch.

Tampa Bay's defense will test that form. CBS Sports noted the Buccaneers have given up 13 points total over their last two games and forced eight turnovers, with linebackers Josiah Trotter and Alex Anzalone leading the way. Baker Mayfield is back at quarterback, but the passing game has done little. CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo said the Buccaneers will be hard to pick in games like this "until Tampa Bay's passing game starts to show its teeth." He took Chicago, 20-16.

What it means for Sunday night

The Bears are 6-2. They have outscored opponents 214-160 and won five of their last six, with the only loss in that run a 31-7 defeat at Green Bay. They are 3-1 at home, and the one loss was a 9-3 game against Minnesota in which neither offense did much. Facing a team that leans on its defense and its running game could produce another low-scoring night like that, or Williams could keep stretching the field as he has the past three weeks.

On this site's board for the game, which tracks 11 venues, Chicago is favored. Novig has the Bears at -239 to win outright and Tampa Bay at +233. On the spread, Novig lists Chicago at -6.5 (+104). The best Bears number anywhere is theScore Bet's -5.5 at -110, a full point shorter. Both are well above the 3.5 points CBS Sports listed from DraftKings when its preview went up, so the market has moved toward Chicago. Novig's total is 47.5, with the under at even money, while theScore Bet's best under is 48.5 at -115. Sportsbook hold runs from 2.9% to 5.0% across the spread and total markets.