Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals Betting Tips – Bengals To Beat Bucs In NFL Week1 Clash

Leigh Copson

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Last updated: Wed 09 Sep 2026 12:33

Leigh Copson 3 hours ago

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Bengals favoured to cover vs Buccaneers in season opener
Joe Burrow returns healthy; defense upgraded in offseason
Both teams missed 2025 playoffs, but Bengals expected to rebound

(Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals Betting Tips

Key Numbers – Will Burrow Go 2-0 When Facing Bucs?
Bucs Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Bengals Won Last Meeting
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Missed Playoffs Last Season
Cincinnati Bengals Won Just Six Games Last Season

Cincinnati are tipped to cover as they kick off the season with a home win.

Joe Burrow is surrounded by weapons on offense, and he now has the support of a defense that has undergone some big upgrades in the offseason.

Key Numbers – Will Burrow Go 2-0 When Facing Bucs?

Joe Burrow won his only previous meeting with Tampa Bay
Cincinnati Bengals won 4 of the 6 games Joe Burrow started last season
Tampa Bay Buccaneers have failed to cover in 5 of their last 6 road games
The Under cashed in 7 of Tampa Bay’s 9 road games last season

Bucs Lead All-Time Head-To-Head; Bengals Won Last Meeting

Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the all-time series 7-6
Cincinnati Bengals won 34-23 when the two teams last met in December 2022

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Missed Playoffs Last Season

Tampa Bay enter the new season looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw them collapse late and miss out on the playoffs.

The Buccaneers made a strong start to the season as they won six of their eight games before the bye week, but their season fell apart when they returned to action.

They lost three straight games, and then failed to build on a victory over Arizona as they went on a four-game skid.

Tampa Bay closed out the campaign with a 16-14 win over Carolina, but they lost the tiebreaker with the Panthers to miss out on the postseason.

The Buccaneers warmed up for the new season by going 2-1 in the preseason, beating the New York Jets 24-16 and Kansas City 16-15, before losing 19-0 in Jacksonville.

Cincinnati Bengals Won Just Six Games Last Season

Cincinnati come into the new campaign looking to rebound from a poor 2025 season that saw them finish 6-11 to miss out on the playoffs.

The Bengals enjoyed a winning start as they beat Cleveland 17-16 and Jacksonville 31-27, but their fortunes took a turn for the worse during that game.

They lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow to injury during that game, and saw their season collapse as they lost nine of their next 11 games to exit the playoff race.

Cincinnati did welcome back Burrow for their final four games of the season, going 2-2 to close out the campaign.

The Bengals go into Sunday’s game on the back of a perfect pre-season that saw them beat Detroit 16-14, Chicago 27-9 and Philadelphia 30-13.

Verdict

TB Buccaneers @ CIN Bengals

Cincinnati return a talented offense, but this time around they have a defense that can do it’s share of the work.

The Bengals are widely expected to bounce back from a rough 2025 campaign, and we expect that rebound to start with a victory over Tampa.

Cincinnati -3.5

Spread

@6/7 - 4 Units

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Under 50.5

Total Points

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During his career he has covered some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, including the Super Bowl, the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final. He has also covered almost every major boxing match and UFC fight card during this time.. His specialist sports are American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Football.

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