Bengals vs. Buccaneers Prediction, Odds, Pick For NFL Week 1

The Cincinnati Bengals will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL showdown on FOX. The matchup features two quarterbacks with remarkably similar paths to the NFL. Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow both won the Heisman Trophy in college before being selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. But when the two have gone head-to-head, Mayfield has had the upper hand. He is 3-0 in his career as a starter against Burrow. Mayfield has also been nearly flawless in season openers since joining Tampa Bay. He is 3-0 in Week 1 games with the Buccaneers, throwing nine touchdowns without an interception and posting a 114.5 passer rating. Mayfield, Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy are the only quarterbacks to win each of their last three Week 1 starts. Burrow, meanwhile, is 1-2 over that same span with just one touchdown pass and a 73.3 passer rating. For Cincinnati, keeping Burrow healthy will be crucial after he missed nine games in the middle of the 2025 season with a turf toe injury. The Bengals went 5-3 with Burrow as their starter and 1-8 without him. So, can Burrow finally get in the win column against Mayfield and end Tampa Bay’s Week 1 winning streak? Let’s take a look at the odds for Bengals vs. Buccaneers at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 13. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Moneyline Spread Over/Under From FOX Sports Research: This isn’t the same Cincy defense that finished near the bottom of the NFL in nearly every major category last season. Cincinnati allowed 28.9 points per game in 2025, the most in franchise history, while giving up 380.9 total yards per game and an NFL-worst 147.1 rushing yards per game. The Bengals allowed at least 100 rushing yards in 15 of 17 games, also the most in the league. But this unit has been completely reshaped. Cincinnati traded the No. 10 overall pick for Dexter Lawrence II and added Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger in free agency, along with Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis in the draft. Lawrence is also a prime bounce-back candidate after battling constant attention last season, when he was double-teamed on 55.8% of his pass-rush snaps, the second-highest rate in the NFL. On the other side, there are reasons to question whether Tampa Bay’s offense will immediately be at its best. Baker Mayfield played through MCL/PCL, biceps and AC joint injuries in 2025, and his production dipped down the stretch, throwing nine interceptions from Week 10 onward, with only Shedeur Sanders throwing more over that span. This total still feels influenced by the Bengals defenses of the past few seasons rather than the completely revamped group Cincinnati will put on the field Sunday. At 50.5 points, there’s value on the under. How to Watch Bengals vs. Buccaneers