For two teams that entered last season with legitimate playoff expectations, 2025 didn't exactly go according to plan.
The Buccaneers missed the postseason for the first time since 2019 after injuries piled up throughout the roster. Cincinnati finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year when Joe Burrow's toe injury cost him nine games.
So, let's try this again. Burrow is healthy and Cincinnati's offense remains loaded with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. Chase caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards last season despite Burrow's lengthy absence, while Higgins added 11 touchdowns and Brown topped 1,000 rushing yards. The bigger question is whether Cincinnati finally fixed its defense.
The Bengals were among the NFL's
worst defenses last season and allowed more rushing yards than any team in the league, prompting a significant offseason overhaul. Dexter Lawrence II arrives to anchor the middle, while Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook were among the other notable additions. They'll get an immediate test from the recently extended Baker Mayfield and a Tampa Bay offense undergoing its own transition.
Mike Evans is gone, putting more responsibility on second-year standout Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. The good news for the Buccaneers is Egbuka has practiced fully this week despite a toe injury, while Jalen McMillan has been limited with a knee issue. There should be no shortage of receiving talent on the field Sunday. But the more important question may be whether either defense can consistently stop it. For Cincinnati in particular, we've spent years knowing what Burrow and company can do when healthy.
Week 1 offers our first look at whether the other side of the ball is finally capable of keeping up.
Bengals vs Buccaneers odds, moneyline, over/under
Opening lines
- Spread: Bengals -3.5
- Moneyline: Bengals -200; Buccaneers +168
- Total: 52.5
Get the edge with our exclusive NFL betting picks
Buccaneers at Bengals score predictions
Adam Kaufman: Bengals 31, Buccaneers 28
Joe Burrow is 0-3 in his career with Baker Mayfield on the opposite sideline, with all three losses coming against Mayfield's old Browns. Making matters worse, Burrow is just 3-9 in the opening two weeks of a season. I'm expecting a better result against Mayfield this time around. Both clubs have suspect defenses, but Cincinnati is simply more explosive offensively with Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. With the Bengals and Buccaneers both out to prove they're bona fide playoff contenders, this should be a fun watch.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Bengals 30, Buccaneers 23
Cincinnati shook its longstanding habit of starting slowly last season. The Bengals could make a strong early impression if the souped-up defense can hold its own against a Buccaneers attack embracing its fifth new coordinator in five years.
Nate Davis: Bengals 27, Buccaneers 23
Notoriously slow starters in September, still giving Joe Burrow and Co. the benefit of the doubt here – perhaps mainly because it seems reasonable to expect a retooled Cincinnati defense can hold the Buccaneers, who are breaking in yet another offensive coordinator (Zac Robinson), to fewer than 24 points … Something the Bengals only managed to do five times in 2025. Tampa Bay has lost the past three meetings in this series.
Richard Morin: Buccaneers 31, Bengals 30
Baker Mayfield is everybody's favorite quarterback to count out. The fact is that the former No. 1 overall pick is one of the most-effective clutch players in the NFL. That's no slight to Joe Burrow and a formidable Cincinnati squad that could (and should) control the lion's share of this game. But there are concerns within that AFC North outfit. The Bengals still have some questions on the offensive line, and if the Bucs' defense can keep them in the game long enough, Mayfield just might win it for them.
Where to watch Buccaneers at Bengals
- Matchup: Bengals vs. Buccaneers
- Date: Sept. 13
- Time: 1:00 p.m.
- Venue: Paycor Stadium
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- TV: Fox
NFL Week 1 Sunday picks and predictions
- Buccaneers at Bengals
- Saints at Lions
- Jets at Titans
- Ravens at Colts
- Falcons at Steelers
- Bears at Panthers
- Browns at Jaguars
- Bills at Texans
- Dolphins at Raiders
- Packers at Vikings
- Commanders at Eagles
- Cardinals at Chargers
- Cowboys at Giants
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buccaneers at Bengals: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 1 game
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