The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to win their fifth-straight NFC South title and earn their sixth-straight playoff berth in 2025. A grueling regular season schedule awaits them, but regardless, the Buccaneers have the pieces to overcome that challenge and make a deep playoff run in the franchise's 50th season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 regular season predictions
Week 1: at Atlanta Falcons
The opening day matchup in Atlanta will be one of the Buccaneers’ most crucial games of the year. The Falcons are Tampa Bay’s biggest threat in the NFC South, and a Week 1 win could set the tone and give the Bucs an early advantage in the division.
The defense and running game will have to step up big, as Tampa Bay will be without key starters Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin Jr. to kick off the season.
Michael Penix Jr. is starting just his fourth career game, and didn’t play a single snap during the preseason, so the Buccaneers defense should be able to make the inexperienced young signal-caller uncomfortable in the season opener.
The Buccaneers start the season on a high note and hand the Falcons a Week 1 loss after being swept in 2024.
Prediction: Win (1-0)
Week 2: at Houston Texans (Monday Night Football)
The Buccaneers will have their hands full in Week 2, traveling to Houston to face one of the league’s top defenses and an explosive offense.
Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter form one of the NFL’s most dangerous pass-rushing duos, and if Tampa Bay is still without Wirfs, Mayfield could be under constant pressure.
The Texans’ offensive line remains a weakness, giving the Buccaneers a chance to flip the script by getting after C.J. Stroud, but it will be a tall task. In the end, the Texans come out on top of a close game.
Prediction: Loss (1-1)
Week 3: vs. New York Jets
After a difficult first two games on the road, the schedule softens a bit as the Buccaneers host the Jets in their home opener.
Jets quarterback Justin Fields is 0-2 against the Buccaneers in his career, with one touchdown and five interceptions. Expect the Buccaneers’ defense to continue their dominance against Fields and get head coach Todd Bowles his first win against his former team as a head coach.
Prediction: Win (2-1)
Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
In Week 4, the reigning Super Bowl champions come to Raymond James Stadium in a clash between two NFC contenders.
The Bucs have had their way with the Eagles as of late. Jalen Hurts is 1-4 against Tampa Bay in his career, with five touchdowns, five interceptions, and a fumble lost. The Bucs dominated the Eagles 33-16 last season, but that was without both of their star receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, and before Philadelphia caught fire down the stretch en route to winning the Lombardi Trophy.
Philadelphia is dominant in the trenches, and their physicality combined with star players at skill positions could prove to be too much for the Buccaneers to handle in one of their toughest matchups of the season.
Prediction: Loss (2-2)
Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
The Buccaneers historically haven’t fared well when traveling to the West Coast, and this game will pose a challenge dealing with the rowdy 12th Man in Seattle and a potent defense led by head coach Mike Macdonald.
The game holds a lot of historical significance, as both teams entered the league together as expansion franchises in 1976, and both will be wearing their throwback uniforms as they celebrate their respective 50th anniversaries.
Expect a tight, hard-fought game, but if Tampa Bay’s defense can get after Sam Darnold and rattle him, it should be a game the Buccaneers are able to win.
Prediction: Win (3-2)
Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Buccaneers would love nothing more to get some revenge on the 49ers, who have beaten them in each of the past three seasons and have won seven of the teams’ last ten meetings.
Last year, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan all out due to injuries, the Buccaneers still hung in there against the 49ers but ultimately lost 23-20 after San Francisco kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired.
They lost a handful of key starters this offseason, including linebacker Dre Greenlaw, former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and starting left guard Aaron Banks.
If the Buccaneers are healthier this time around, they should be able to handle this new-look 49ers roster at home.
Prediction: Win (4-2)
Week 7: at Detroit Lions
The Buccaneers travel to Detroit in Week 7 for one of their most difficult games of the year. The Lions have arguably the league’s most explosive offense, and a capable defense led by Aidan Hutchinson, who notched 4.5 sacks against the Buccaneers in 2024.
The Buccaneers have the horses to keep up with Detroit, but ultimately fall short in a shootout between two of the NFC's best teams.
Prediction: Loss (4-3)
Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
The Buccaneers play their most-hated rival in what should be one of their most winnable games to this point on the schedule. Division games are never easy, but the Buccaneers have a chance to make a statement here.
The Saints don’t have the talent to compete with the Buccaneers, and will be led by a first-time head coach in Kellen Moore. They also have one of the league’s most unproven quarterback situations, starting the season with Spencer Rattler who was 0-7 as a starter last season, and rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough.
Regardless of who is under center, the Buccaneers should have no problem making their life miserable in a convincing win.
Prediction: Win (5-3)
Week 9: BYE
The Buccaneers go into the bye week at 5-3 as they prepare for an absolutely brutal stretch that includes road games against the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams.
Week 10: vs. New England Patriots
The Patriots will be no pushover, led by head coach Mike Vrabel and promising second-year quarterback Drake Maye. They boast one of the league’s best secondaries headlined by Christian Gonzalez and former Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis.
New England will put up a fight, but the Buccaneers will come out on top in what could be a defensive slugfest.
Prediction: Win (6-3)
Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
The Buccaneers face a tough road test in Buffalo’s cold climate against reigning MVP Josh Allen. The Bills were one of only three teams to outscore Tampa Bay in 2024 and also ranked 11th in points allowed.
This matchup pits the Bucs against one of the league’s most complete teams and could come down to whoever has the ball last. Expect a back-and-forth affair, but Buffalo ultimately edges out Tampa Bay in a close game.
Prediction: Loss (6-4)
Week 12: at Los Angeles Rams
The Buccaneers are 1-3 against the Rams since 2020, and 2-8 in their last ten meetings overall.
Bowles has historically struggled against Rams head coach Sean McVay, with Los Angeles scoring at least 27 points in four out of five matchups since Bowles joined Tampa Bay as a defensive coordinator in 2019.
Add in the Buccaneers’ general West Coast struggles and recent prime-time woes, and this matchup has all the makings of a tough night for Tampa Bay.
Prediction: Loss (6-5)
Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
After facing the Jets in Week 3, Bowles gets another matchup against a former team, having spent two seasons as Arizona’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014.
The Cardinals are a solid team with plenty of playmakers and are nothing to scoff at, but the Buccaneers are simply on a different level. This is a game they simply need to win at home to rebound from a tough road stretch, and they’ll get the job done.
Prediction: Win (7-5)
Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
By this point, the Saints are likely to be well out of playoff contention while the Buccaneers should be priming themselves for a playoff run.
Tampa Bay swept New Orleans a season ago, scoring 39 points per game in their two matchups.
Expect the Buccaneers to put the Saints out of their misery in dominant fashion in an important division game.
Prediction: Win (8-5)
Week 15: vs. Falcons
This Week 15 matchup on Thursday Night Football could have massive playoff implications, and even decide who will win the NFC South crown.
By now, the Falcons’ offense, led by young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. should be hitting its stride as they fight to make a playoff push.
The Falcons will give the Buccaneers all they can handle, but Tampa Bay gets the nod due to big-game experience and a slight edge in overall talent on the roster.
Prediction: Win (9-5)
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
The Panthers, now led by former Bucs OC Dave Canales, are one of the league’s up-and-coming young teams. Tampa Bay held on for a 26–23 overtime win in their first 2024 meeting, then dominated the rematch 48–14 to secure the season sweep.
Carolina spent the offseason upgradng its historically bad defense, signing DTs Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III along with safety Tre’von Moehrig. They also drafted WR Tetairoa McMillan to give Bryce Young a true playmaker. The return of star defensive tackle from injury Derrick Brown will be a gamechanger in itself.
The future is certainly promising in Carolina, but the Buccaneers still have the edge in 2025.
Prediction: Win (10-5)
Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have weapons and arguably the league’s fastest offense, but they lack the physicality to match up with the NFL’s best teams.
Tampa Bay’s dangerous defensive line and strong rushing attack could make it a long day for Miami. If the Bucs can contain Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, which is no easy task, they should have no problem heading into the regular-season finale with a win.
After trading away Jalen Ramsey, releasing Kendall Fuller, and losing both Kader Kohou and Artie Burns to season-ending injuries, Miami enters 2025 with one of the league’s weakest cornerback rooms and an entirely new secondary.
That sets up a big day for Tampa Bay’s passing attack and deep arsenal of weapons.
Prediction: Win (11-5)
Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers
Just two weeks after their first meeting, the Buccaneers close out the regular season with a rematch against Carolina. They swept the Panthers in 2024, and they’ll do it again here to complete a perfect 6–0 sweep against NFC South rivals in 2025.
With this win in the regular season finale, the Buccaneers head into the playoffs riding a six-game winning streak.
Prediction: Win (12-5)
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