Ahead of their game against the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heavily favored to come away with the win.
On paper, it makes sense. The Buccaneers have made the playoffs in five straight seasons and have won the NFC South four straight years. They've started 2-0, Baker Mayfield is playing like an MVP, and it's the home opener in Tampa.
Then there is the Jets. New York has not made the playoffs since 2010. They are coming off a 5-12 finish last year, and started 0-2 in 2025. Justin Fields is injured, and Tyrod Taylor is making his first start since 2023, when he went 2-3 filling in for an injured Daniel Jones in New York.
That's why Tampa Bay is a seven-point favorite ahead of Sunday, and why they have a clean sweep of expert picks.
All five of NFL.com's experts picked Tampa Bay, with all five predicting another one-score win. Tampa also earned a clean sweep from all 11 of ESPN's analysts. Sports Illustrated also chose Tampa Bay, with all eight of its experts choosing the Buccaneers over the Jets.
The betting predictions are more split. USA Today's experts split 3-3, with half expecting Tampa Bay to cover the seven points, and the other half expecting the Jets to come within seven points. None of their experts explicitly said they thought the Jets would win outright, however.
Clearly, Tampa Bay is the better team, and clearly, they are the popular pick among experts around the sports media world.
It should have Tampa Bay sleeping easily at night, but this game has all the makings of a classic trap game. A game that the Buccaneers should have no business losing, and inexplicably find a way to lose.
While it's unlikely, Tampa Bay needs to make sure it doesn't take New York lightly. The Jets did score 32 points on Pittsburgh in Week 1, and Tyrod Taylor is 2-0 in his career against Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers need to make sure they are buttoned up and prepared to defeat the Jets in their sleep on Sunday, or else they could walk away disappointed.
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