The NFL is back, baby! The 2026 regular season kicked off with two games earlier in the week, building up to the full Sunday slate to really get Week 1 going. There’s a potential offensive shootout on deck in the afternoon window when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to Cincinnati for a meeting against the Bengals. With Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka dueling Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the stars are out for this one.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Here’s a preview, prediction and pick for Buccaneers vs. Bengals in NFL Week 1 on Sunday.
Buccaneers vs. Bengals prediction, preview
There’s a clear-cut reason this matchup carries the highest total of the Week 1 slate. There should be plenty of offensive fireworks on display from both of these teams, especially with some questions for both of the defensive units.
The Buccaneers were underwhelming last season with an 8-9 finish, but they battled injuries to Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans at various points. While the latter of those names departed over the offseason, the other three are back and should be healthy alongside second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka, who’s poised to step up as a primary option in the passing game. The frameworks of a top-10 offense are in place; it’s simply up to these pieces to stay healthy and for new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to put them in position for success. The latter may prove tougher than the former after a couple of underwhelming seasons as the Atlanta Falcons’ coordinator, but perhaps a change of scenery will allow him to design an attack that flourishes.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive front is extremely strong – Via Vea earned a huge extension and is joined by Calijah Kancey and first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr, as well as Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter in the linebacking group. The back half of the defense is more uncertain, though. The secondary ranked sixth worst in passing yards allowed per game last year and runs back largely the same core, so this may serve as something of a pass funnel defense so long as the front sticks around as a top-five product against the run again.
The story for the Bengals last season was actually fairly similar to that of the Buccaneers, though it was one major injury that derailed their campaign. Cincinnati ended the year with a 6-11 record largely because Joe Burrow appeared in only eight contests. The good news is that the gunslinger is healthy and back in the saddle under center, where he’ll be delivering throws to both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, as per usual. Granted, Chase suffered an injury late in training camp that has been worth monitoring, but he’s not on the injury report and should be a full-go on Sunday. It’s also worth noting that tight end Erick All Jr. – who was arguably poised for a bit of a breakout last year thanks to his well-rounded profile – has recovered from a torn ACL as well. With two stud wideouts and Chase Brown coming off a career-best season in the backfield, the Bengals are positioned to get back on the board as a top-five offense.
Their own defense has been a significant limitation in recent years, but there’s a glimmer of hope for that side of the ball after a splashy offseason in the trenches. Cincy traded a first-round pick for former All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, added Jonathan Allen to compliment him in the middle, and acquired Boye Mafe to come off the edge as well. The Bengals have re-made the defensive front, which should shore things up following an abysmal 2025 in which they allowed an NFL-worst 147.1 rushing yards per game. Much like Tampa Bay, though, the back half is shakier.
Buccaneers vs. Bengals pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Bengals as a -3.5 favorite against the spread with -205 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Buccaneers are a +170 road underdog to win outright with the game total set at 50.5 combined points.
This’ll be an intriguing matchup given the offensive talent on both sides, and with defenses that could be vulnerable through the air, the over certainly has some legs. We’ve seen Cincinnati’s offense work as a juggernaut with a healthy Burrow before, which was arguably a necessity given the roughshod nature of its defense. The team did shore up the defensive front to a significant degree, but will very likely still struggle against the pass once again. Tampa Bay has the weapons to attack through the air, especially with Egbuka now off the injury report and coming off a week of full practices after dealing with a toe issue over the last month. It wouldn’t be shocking to see both teams abandon the run almost entirely if they struggle to gain ground.
The matchup that may swing the outcome is how the Bengals’ offensive line handles the Bucs’ pass rush. There are plenty of big bodies up front for Tampa Bay and Bain Jr. is a breakout pick to win Defensive Rookie of the Year following an impressive final collegiate campaign with the Miami Hurricanes – if Cincy’s line is a turnstile of sorts as we’ve seen in the past, Burrow may face a ton of pressure and get batted around plenty in this game. This should be a close game, and for that reason, I’m more comfortable targeting the over than projecting a winner here since it should be a shootout.
