Jacksonville Jaguars predictions: Do NFL experts think Jags bounce back vs. Bucs?

The Jacksonville Jaguars need a win to stay atop the AFC South. Can they get it on their trip to the other side of Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

The Jags' three-game losing streak has them at 8-6 and in a three-way tie with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans for the division lead. Jacksonville holds the tiebreaker, but that's about the only thing going right for now. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence sustained a high ankle sprain two weeks ago and now is in the concussion protocol after last week's 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. If Lawrence can't go, C.J. Beathard will step in at QB.

The Bucs are on a three-game winning streak and at 7-7 are tied for the lead in the NFC South. Quarterback Baker Mayfield went off in last week's 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers, going 22 of 28 for 381 yards and four touchdowns. Chris Godwin led receivers with 10 catches for 155 yards, while Mike Evans brought in a touchdown and running back Rachaad White had 139 total yards and caught a TD.

Can the Jags snap their skid? Here's a look at what NFL reporters and analysts predict will happen:

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY: Bucs 21-17

"The Jaguars have lost three in a row and have failed to cover each of those. Trevor Lawrence’s play has been uneven, especially when his ability to scramble is hampered. Most concerning is that Doug Pederson appears to have lost his edge with regards to in-game management decisions."

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Bucs 24-20 (Upset of the Week)

"The Jaguars are dealing with Trevor Lawrence (concussion) possibly needing to miss his first game of the season after playing through multiple injuries. It's horrible timing, given Jacksonville has lost three consecutive games to see its AFC South title repeat hopes fade a bit. Facing Tampa Bay and it's fired-up passing game with Baker Mayfield, although just down the road in the same state, is a hard recovery spot given the Bucs are trying to repeat in the AFC South. It's easy to believe that the Bucs have more reliable offense now."

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Jags 23-20

"Trevor Lawrence is in the concussion protocol, which means it could be C.J. Beathard starting at quarterback. But this game will come down to whether Baker Mayfield can have success against the Jacksonville defense. That unit played well last week against the Ravens, and I think they can slow Mayfield enough here. Jaguars take it."

Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: Bucs 23-20

"I believe in the Bucs."

Gary Davenport, Bleacher Report: Bucs win

The Bleacher Report panel was split with four members picking the Jaguars and three siding with the Bucs.

"That Baker Mayfield is the first visiting quarterback ever to post a perfect 158.3 passer rating at Lambeau Field is one of those stats I'll always gawk at with disbelief," Davenport wrote. "It's a safe bet that he won't duplicate that at home against Jacksonville. But he doesn't need to.

"Even if Lawrence clears protocol, the reeling Jaguars aren't measurably better than Tampa. Having more confidence in Mayfield than Lawrence in Week 16 is an odd feeling, but here we are."

Safid Deen, USA TODAY: Bucs 24-20

"Baker Mayfield is coming off one the best performances of his career, while the Jaguars are reeling. Even if Trevor Lawrence (concussion protocol) is healthy enough to play, I like the Bucs’ momentum to carry into this week."

Bill Bender, Sporting News: Jags 28-24

"Jacksonville did not enjoy the AFC North tour with three consecutive losses, and now they are catching a Buccaneers' team riding a three-game winning streak. Baker Mayfield has seven TDs and one interception the last three weeks, but he also had a completion percentage below 50% in two of those games. For now, we will assume Trevor Lawrence clears concussion protocol in a get-right game."

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Jags 24-20

"Trevor Lawrence hasn’t missed a start in his NFL career, but a concussion has his status in doubt. These teams are going in opposite directions at the moment. The Bucs have won three in a row and the Jags have lost three straight games. If Lawrence plays and the Jaguars can execute in the red zone, Jacksonville should win the intrastate matchup."

John Breech, CBS Sports: Jags 27-23 with Trevor Lawrence, Bucs 24-17 without him

"I won't be surprised if this game turns into a shootout. Baker Mayfield is playing out of his mind right now, but as good as he's been playing, the Bucs still have not beaten a single team that currently has a winning record, and the Jaguars have a winning record, so I guess I'm taking the Jags. Well, I think I'm taking the Jags. I don't know for sure, because I don't know if Lawrence will be playing. The Jags QB is in concussion protocol and if he can't go, then C.J. Beathard will be the Jags starter and if that's the case, I probably won't be picking Jacksonville."

Chris Sims, Pro Football Talk: Jags 27-20

Jaguars-Bucs betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, December 21.

• Spread: Buccaneers (-1)

• Over/under: 42.5 points

• Moneyline: Jaguars -105, Buccaneers -115

How can I watch Jaguars vs. Buccaneers?

• When: 4:05 p.m. Sunday, December 24

• Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• TV: CBS

• Streaming: Paramount+ (7-day free trial), NFL+ (out-of-market only), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)

Jaguars vs. Buccaneers kicks off at 4:05 p.m. Sunday, December 24 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The game will air on CBS. Kevin Harlan will be on the play-by-play with Trent Green as the analyst.

Streaming options include fuboTV, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Jaguars schedule 2023

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jaguars vs Buccaneers predictions: NFL experts pick Week 16 game