49ers vs. Buccaneers NFL Week 10 predictions and best bets: Can McCaffrey’s return catapult San Fran?

All eyes will be on the San Francisco injury report this week to see whether star RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) will make his season debut Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

McCaffrey had a limited practice Wednesday and Thursday. Reports suggest he will play. That boosts San Francisco (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) as it tries to reset the season following an up-and-down performance during the first eight games.

The Niners also could see the return of wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. That could spell bad news for Tampa Bay (4-5 SU, 5-4 ATS), which struggles on defense.

San Francisco is a 6.5-point favorite Sunday. Here are our 49ers vs. Buccaneers predictions and best bets for NFL Week 10.

NFL Week 10 49ers vs. Buccaneers predictions and best bets

San Francisco -6.5: -105 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook

San Francisco team total over 26.5 points: -166 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

George Kittle receptions under 4.5: -105 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook

Note:

It appears the gang will be back together for the 49ers on Sunday. That's bad news for Tampa Bay. San Francisco is probably ready to prove it is a Super Bowl contender after an up-and-down first half of the season.

If McCaffrey, Samuel and Jennings return, San Francisco will look more like the team that nearly won the Lombardi Trophy last season. The Bucs' defense is not equipped to handle that.

San Francisco is also a major step up for Tampa Bay compared to the last two weeks. The Bucs have played two full games without WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and performed admirably. They didn't have enough to win, but considering those major absences, they put forth solid games.

A lot of that was because of the defenses they were facing. The best way to attack Kansas City is with the running backs and tight ends. Tampa Bay did that successfully. Atlanta has a subpar pass rush, so quarterback Baker Mayfield had time to scan his options in the passing game.

That won't be the case against San Francisco. At full strength, the 49ers have a great defense and will be excited to hit the field Sunday.

If that's not enough to convince you to back San Francisco, here is a trend: Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles is 0-7 ATS as a home underdog of three to seven-plus points.

One of the reasons the 49ers have stayed competitive throughout their laundry list of injuries has been the performance of tight end George Kittle. He leads the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

That production has come while most of the other offensive players missed time. Now that they're all expected to be back, there won't be as much for Kittle. He'll still be good, but it will be closer to last season, when he averaged four receptions per game, not 5.7 per game like he is this season.

Why San Francisco could win as the favoriteBest odds: -290 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Having played eight games and coming out of their bye, Sunday's contest will serve as a season reset for the 49ers. They dealt with injuries and eked out a 4-4 record. Despite that, they're still only a half-game out of first place in the NFC West.

All of the 49ers' goals are still attainable. With all their players back, it should be full speed ahead Sunday. Tampa's defense has struggled most of the season, and San Francisco will take advantage of it.

Why Tampa Bay could win as the underdogBest odds: +235 at bet365 Sportsbook

The Bucs have been competitive all season, and there is no reason to think they won't be competitive again Sunday.

If the offensive line can slow the San Francisco pass rush, Mayfield will have a chance to score touchdowns and win the game.

Tampa Bay had good matchups the last couple of weeks, but it will need to find another level Sunday against a hungry 49ers team that still hopes to make a playoff run.