Ravens vs. Buccaneers: Prediction, Odds, How To Watch Tom Brady On Thursday Night Football

There's finally a marquee matchup on "Thursday Night Football," featuring two of the NFL's top quarterbacks. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are scheduled to host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a game that has become increasingly important for both teams.

With a 3-4 record in Week 8, the Buccaneers are in desperate need of a victory. Tampa Bay has struggled so mightily that the latest betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook make the Buccaneers 1.5-point underdogs at home.

Viewers can watch the Buccaneers host the Ravens on Amazon Prime Video Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET. The over/under is 44.5.

Tampa Bay has lost four of its last five games. The Bucs might've hit rock-bottom with an embarrassing 21-3 loss against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Carolina entered the contest with only one victory and seemingly admitted that it can't make the playoffs by trading Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-20 in Week 7, though the Ravens are only one game better than the Bucs. Since beating the New York Jets in the season opener, the Ravens have alternated wins and losses every week.

Both teams are tied for a share of first place in their respective divisions, and they currently own the tiebreakers. Baltimore is trying to hold off the surging Cincinnati Bengals, which have won four of five games. Tampa Bay has the same record as the Atlanta Falcons. Just one game separates all four teams in the NFC South.

Offensive struggles have inexplicably given Brady his first losing record through seven games in 20 years. A season after being named the runner-up for the MVP award, the legendary quarterback is not putting up the impressive stats that he did during his first two seasons in Tampa Bay.

Brady has a pedestrian 92.8 passer rating and only eight passing touchdowns. The 45-year-old has only thrown a single interception, and his 1,942 passing yards are good for sixth in the league.

The Bucs have scored more than 21 points just one time in seven games. While offense is down across the league, Tampa Bay ranks 25th in scoring and yards per play.

The Ravens have been better than the Bucs offensively, but the unit has slowed down over the past month. In four straight games, Baltimore has scored 23 points or fewer. Jackson has three touchdown passes and four interceptions during that span.

Jackson's ability as a runner gives Baltimore's offense a much higher floor than that of Tampa Bay. The quarterback's 510 rushing yards rank fifth among all players. Baltimore has scored at least 19 points in every single game.

It's possible that Tampa Bay can start to turn things around Thursday night. Baltimore is seventh in passing yards allowed per game. Tampa Bay is fifth in scoring defense, giving up 17.7 points per game.

Most of the evidence, however, suggests that the Buccaneers have taken a significant step back in 2022. Tampa Bay's offensive line isn't nearly as good as it was in 2020 and 2021. The defense isn't as dominant. The Bucs' 3-4 record has come against a weak schedule, which has featured only two opponents that enter Week 8 above .500.

With the coaching edge and a better overall team, Baltimore should come away with the victory on a short week.

Prediction: Baltimore over Tampa Bay, 23-20