The 0-2 Jets travel to Tampa Bay on Sunday to face the 2-0 Buccaneers in Week 3 of the NFL regular season. New York looked awful in their last outing against Buffalo, while Tampa beat the Texans right at the death in Houston. This will be the home opener for the Bucs.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bucs are favored by seven points and this game carries a total of 43.5 points.
Below, I break down this matchup between the Jets and the Buccaneers and give a pick for the game.
Jets vs. Buccaneers prediction
The Jets will have a change under center this week, as Justin Fields is still in concussion protocol. Long-time NFL vet Tyrod Taylor will get the start in what is his 15th NFL season. It will be business as usual for the Bucs, as they look to win their home opener and improve to 3-0.
Jets vs. Buccaneers pick, best bet
I like Tampa Bay to win by at least a touchdown in this one. They’re at home, they’re the better team and they’re facing opposition who have already turned to their backup quarterback. The Jets are in a dire position after just two weeks, performing well in a Week 1 loss before being completely dismantled in Week 2 in all three phases. Justin Fields only threw for 27 yards in Week 2 before being injured, and the defense has given up 64 points through two weeks, good enough for the third-worst scoring defense in the NFL. The offense had a promising showing against Pittsburgh, but the disaster against the Bills dropped them down to 26th in total offense in 2025.
Tampa Bay’s defense has been much better, ranking 13th in scoring defense while allowing 19.5 points per game. Their offense isn’t too far behind, ranking in a tie for 18th in points per game. Tampa has had more success on the ground than through the air this season, averaging 135 yards per game, tied for the eighth most in the league. That should be the recipe once again after watching the Bills rush for 224 yards last week against the Jets.
The Bucs have an established head coach, quarterback and roster, while the Jets are very much still trying to find their identity. The atmosphere should be electric in what will be Tampa’s first home game this season.
