Buccaneers vs. Falcons prediction: Can Baker Mayfield and Co. get back on track to secure NFC South lead?

In the Week 15 edition of "Thursday Night Football," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play host to the division rival Atlanta Falcons.

Tampa has lost four of its last five games since staking out a massive NFC South lead and is now in danger of potentially missing the playoffs if it can't rebound down the stretch. The Bucs play three division games in the final four weeks of the season and need to stack wins in those contests, starting with this one on Thursday night.

Atlanta has been on an even bigger slide, losing seven of its last eight games. The Falcons aren't even playing for draft positioning, either, because they traded their first-round pick to the Rams during last year's draft. They are playing out the string here and fighting for jobs next season and in the future.

Which of these two teams will be able to stop their recent stretch of poor play? We'll find out soon enough. But before we break down some of the key storylines, here's a look at how you can watch the game. 

Where to watch Buccaneers vs. Falcons

• Date: Thursday, Dec. 11 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
• Stream: Prime Video
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: Buccaneers -4.5, O/U 44.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

Key Storylines

• NFC South race. The Buccaneers and Panthers are tied with matching 7-6 records, but the Bucs currently sit in first place in the division thanks to the common opponents tiebreaker. (They haven't played each other yet and they're both 2-1 in the division, so they have to go to the third tiebreaker to decide which team is ahead.) Tampa plays Atlanta here, then travels to Carolina next week and Miami the week after before hosting the Panthers to end the season. The Panthers get the Saints on the road this week before hosting the Bucs and Seahawks and then traveling to Tampa to end the year. 
• Buccaneers injury returns. The Bucs have already gotten Bucky Irving back and now they are getting Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan back as well. Evans has been out since suffering a collarbone injury back in Week 4. McMillan has yet to play this season after suffering a neck injury during the preseason. The Bucs offense has not been as good lately as it was to start the season, so these returns should provide a significant boost.
• Falcons in a tailspin. Atlanta has lost seven of its last eight games after starting the season 3-2. There could be changes on the horizon if Raheem Morris and Co. can't turn things around down the stretch. Doing so is going to be difficult because they're working with a backup quarterback and a defense that has badly regressed since starting the season as one of the hotter units in the league. If the Falcons continue to stumble, we could see a new head coach and/or general manager in Atlanta next season.

Buccaneers vs. Falcons prediction, pick

Tampa isn't exactly lighting the world on fire of late, but the Falcons seem to be dead in the water. Tampa should be able to move the ball on Thursday night, especially with Evans and McMillan returning to from injury. The Falcons, meanwhile, seemingly cannot move the ball with any degree of consistency with Kirk Cousins under center. The Bucs have a good run defense and are weaker against the pass, which plays against what the Falcons would like to do given the current state of their roster. 

Pick: Buccaneers 24, Falcons 13 | (Tampa Bay -4.5, Under 44.5)