The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets meet Friday in NFL preseason action from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Here’s a Jets vs Buccaneers prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Jets vs Buccaneers pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Preview
Last year the Buccaneers were looking pretty good at the start of the campaign, coming into the season as four-time defending NFC South champs. It was also their fourth straight season with a new offensive coordinator, though, and despite a nice 6-2 start right out of the gate, the team couldn’t sustain the momentum. Tampa Bay ended up going just 8-9 overall, thanks mostly to a slew of key injuries and defensive breakdowns. When the proverbial dust settled, the Bucs would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Tampa Bay comes into the 2026 season looking quite a bit different. There have been plenty of changes to the roster, most notably considering the departures of Mike Evans (49ers) and Lavonte David (retired). The Buccaneers also have yet another offensive coordinator, their fifth in five seasons. If Tampa Bay is going to rebound from last year’s disappointing campaign, first and foremost they’ve got to stay healthy.
New York Jets Betting Preview
On the Jets’ side, they’ve firmly cemented their status as one of the most consistently disappointing teams in professional sports. New York began 2025 with their fourth head coach in eight years and failed to improve on an ugly 5-12 record from 2024. The Jets lost their first seven games before finally taking out the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, then were officially eliminated from playoff contention in a blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. Needless to say, New York’s 3-14 record saw them finish in the basement of the division and kept them out of the postseason for the 15th straight year.
New York only has to win a handful of games this season in order to point toward some semblance of progress. The Jets are still in rebuild mode during head coach Aaron Glenn’s second season, and a large chunk of the staff was replaced. Veteran quarterback Geno Smith returns to the team, and the defense looks pretty good on paper.
Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win
- The Buccaneers have won each of their last six road games in September.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Buccaneers’ last six games.
- The Buccaneers have won the first quarter in four of their last five road openers as underdogs.
- The Buccaneers have scored the first touchdown in each of their last four games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Buccaneers’ last six games without Antoine Winfield Jr. have gone OVER the total points line.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player Prop Facts
- Baker Mayfield has recorded 215+ passing yards in six of the Buccaneers’ last seven games against AFC opponents.
- Baker Mayfield has recorded 20+ rushing yards in each of the Buccaneers’ last five games as underdogs against AFC opponents.
- Bucky Irving has scored a touchdown in each of his last three appearances in games with a total points line of at least 50.0.
- Chris Godwin has recorded 45+ rushing and receiving yards in 13 of his last 14 appearances against AFC opponents.
- Cade Otton has recorded 21+ receiving yards in each of the Buccaneers’ last eight games as road underdogs.
- Baker Mayfield has recorded 22+ completions in five of the Buccaneers’ last six games as underdogs against AFC opponents.
- Chase McLaughlin ranked T1st in the NFL in 50+ yard field goals made (11) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Buccaneers – 16 different players recorded at least one touchdown last season – equal-most in the NFL.
- Buccaneers – two different players recorded 80+ rushing yards in a game last season – equal-most in the NFL.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of the Jets’ last eight road openers have gone OVER the total points line.
New York Jets Player Prop Facts
- Breece Hall has recorded 30+ receiving yards in each of the Jets’ last four September road games.
- Geno Smith has recorded 289+ passing yards in each of his last five September road appearances.
- Braelon Allen has recorded 26+ rushing yards in each of his last four appearances with the Jets as road underdogs.
- Garrett Wilson has scored a touchdown in each of his last four road appearances.
- Breece Hall has recorded 76+ rushing and receiving yards in six of the Jets’ last seven games as slight underdogs (<+3.5 points).
- Geno Smith has recorded 24+ completions in each of his last four September appearances against AFC opponents.
- Nahshon Wright ranked T1st in the league for fumbles recovered (3) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Jets – 16 different players recorded at least one touchdown last season – equal-most in the NFL.
- Jets – two different players recorded 80+ rushing yards in a game last season – equal-most in the NFL.
Jets vs Buccaneers Prediction
I’m going to take a stab at the Jets. That said, anything can happen in the first week of preseason considering the absence of first-string presence. In any case, New York appeared to get better in the offseason with all of their staff revamping and player additions. In particular, the defensive line has some nice depth, and star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick should make a big impact. The over/under for wins has been hovering around six or so, which would probably be considered a success.
As for the Bucs, they’ll have a chance to set the tone early if they can get the new-look chemistry going. Tampa Bay has their work cut out for them in a competitive NFC South, but they’ll be in the mix if all goes well. Once again, however, avoiding the injury bug will be key to the Buccaneers’ fortunes in 2026.