BucsGameday Staff Score Predictions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers At Indianapolis Colts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will wrap up a two-game road trip against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon. The team came up short on the West Coast last weekend as the San Francisco 49ers mostly had their way with the Buccaneers, building a 27-7 advantage while only allowing two scoring drives.
The Colts have won two consecutive games entering the matchup with the Buccaneers. The team has been forced to turn to veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew to lead the offense after rookie signal-caller Anthony Richardson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury earlier this season. All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor is also getting back into form after missing the beginning of the year. He's led the Colts in rushing in each of the last four games.
Tampa Bay could be short-handed on defense in this contest with linebacker Devin White, linebacker Lavonte David, and cornerback Jamel Dean dealing with injuries. The Colts rank No. 25 in the league in total defense and are allowing 129.7 yards on the ground per game. Indianapolis is one of seven teams to surrender 24.8 or more points per contest.
Our staff provides their predictions and analysis as the Buccaneers and Colts prepare to face off in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG)
San Francisco mostly handed the Buccaneers last weekend as the offense continues to struggle against teams that are in the upper echelon of the league. This is certainly an opportunity for Tampa Bay to bounce but it can't be overlooked that this is the second straight road game for the franchise after having to travel to California last weekend.
Add in the fact that the status of multiple starters is uncertain entering the contest with injuries beginning to pile up for the Buccaneers and this one looks tougher than what it did on paper. The Colts have momentum entering this game after winning two straight games. Plus, Jonathan Taylor is coming off a season-high 23 carries and he's scored a touchdown in three of his last four appearances.
Indianapolis looks to be moving in the right direction with the franchise still in the playoff discussion. I'm not sure the same can be said for the Buccaneers and the injuries won't help. I've got Indianapolis edging out Tampa Bay on the road.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 6-4
Colts 21, Buccaneers 20
Logan Robinson (@LogansTwitty)
The Buccaneers defense will need to certainly perform better than what we saw on Sunday against the 49ers, specifically getting to the quarterback in Gardner Minshew. YaYa Diaby continues to grow in both ways including the pass rush and run game defense and in this case, they’ll need a lot of good play once again facing another stellar running back in talent with Jonathan Taylor.
I think the Bucs scrape away with a win on the road against the Colts.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 6-4
Buccaneers 28, Colts 24
David Harrison (@DHarrison82)
The Colts offense isn’t the 49ers’ and Tampa Bay may be catching Indy in a down-mood following the release of a team captain and multi-time All-Pro player.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 5-5
Buccaneers 24, Colts 21
Collin Haalboom (@SI_Buccaneers)
The Buccaneers will travel to Indianapolis for their second consecutive road game, having lost five of their last six. Contrary to the final score, the Buccaneers actually did some good things in their most recent outing in San Francisco. Most importantly, the offense showed signs of life for a second consecutive week.
Despite being underdogs in the betting market, I think the offense takes another step forward vs. the Colts. Although Indianapolis is coming off a bye week, and two wins (vs. Carolina and New England) prior to that, I believe that Tampa Bay is a better team overall.
I'm going to pick the Bucs to win, but there's a lot of uncertainty regarding the health of several key players. Both starting linebackers and outside corners are at risk of missing the game. If that happens, hold this prediction against me.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 6-4
Buccaneers 24, Colts 14
Caleb Skinner (@chsnole)
The Buccaneers really could use a win. They have struggled against teams that have obviously been better than them this season, but have somehow found ways to stick around in games. Against a team like the Indianapolis Colts, they should be fairly evenly matched. The Bucs have shown the ability to win these games and I think they are able to get this one as well on the road as they attempt to stay in the race for the NFC South.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 4-6
Buccaneers 24, Colts 21
JC Allen (@JCAllenNFL)
The Bucs matchup against the Colts just became a bit tougher to win with the loss of Lavonte David and Jamel Dean. Devin White is a gametime decision as well which would thrust rookie SirVocea Dennis and special teamer K.J. Britt into starting roles. Tampa's defense has already struggled over the last several weeks, missing three key starters won't do them any favors.
The Colts at 5-5, have been able to move the ball this season. They are ninth in scoring, putting up 24.2 points per game, and are averaging 347.8 yards per game. It won't be a cakewalk for the Bucs banged-up defense. The other side of the ball for the Colts has not been so good, they rank near the bottom half of the league in nearly every category, except for sacks and Interceptions where they've been opportunistic with 11 on the season.
The Bucs offense is finally starting to find its flow and they will need to early in a loud environment like Lucas Oil Field. The Colts have done pretty well against the pass this year, but the Buccaneers will need to get it going early getting their stars involved to put up the points they'll need to win. It will be close but the Bucs get the much-needed victory.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 8-2
Buccaneers 20, Colts 17
Kade Kimble (@kadekimble)
The Buccaneers’ offense should be able to do just enough to win as the defense comes up big in a win. The Buccaneers are two games back from .500 and need a big win. In particular, the Buccaneers rush defense will set the tone. As long as they can limit Gardner Minshew, who has been rocky this season, they’ll be in good shape.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-3
Buccaneers 21, Colts 16
Ben Meyerson (@ByBenMeyerson)
The Colts have had an up-and-down season but are now led by Gardner Minshew at QB. Their offense has run the ball better since Jonathon Taylor came back from injury but is still below average. They have early season wins against the Texans and Ravens, but also have losses against the Rams and Saints. They will be able to take advantage of the Buccaneers' corners but will not have enough on defense to slow down White, Godwin, and Evans. As long as Baker plays a clean game this is Tampa's game.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 6-4
Buccaneers 28, Colts 20
Cody Haynes (@codyh33)
Even though the Bucs didn’t win against the 49ers, they showed that they should be able to hang around with good teams. This team feels so close to having a breakout game.
It seems like every week the Bucs beat the Bucs. There were two dropped touchdown passes on separate drives that could have put them up by one point late in the fourth. The defense still needs some work, as they continue to give up a lot of yards through the air. If they can break the habit of shooting themselves in the foot every week, they could win more games.
The injury report is filled with starters on the defense. White, Dean, David and Davis are all dealing with injuries. If some of these guys can play Sunday, the Bucs should be able to beat the Colts.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 3-3 (joined in middle of season)
Buccaneers 27, Colts 17
Matthew Hewitt (@BucsTrackerNFL)
The Buccaneers will look to go 5-6 against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. I think the Bucs will be in control of the game and come out with the victory.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 3-3 (joined in middle of season)
Buccaneers 23, Colts 17
CONSENSUS: Buccaneers (9-1)
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