Our Buccaneers vs Bengals prediction favours Cincinnati. Tampa Bay visit Paycor Stadium on Sunday, September 13, and both sides begin the new NFL season here. Squawka Signal’s live numbers, and the value read, sit in the block underneath. Signal rates the whole Week 1 card the same way.
Both finished 2025 with losing records, Tampa Bay at 8-9 and Cincinnati at 6-11. Neither defence, moreover, held up.
Cincinnati conceded 492 points, more than any other side playing this week. Tampa Bay allowed a 97.5 opponent passer rating and 69.8% in the red zone, moreover, which is the weaker of the two marks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Tampa Bay BuccaneersWin prob39%
Cincinnati BengalsWin prob61%Squawka Signal is our model’s read, updated after every result — not betting advice. How the NFL Signal works. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON). Full T&Cs & geo-restrictions apply: bet365.
Buccaneers vs Bengals: our editor’s prop
One editorial call to sit alongside the live Signal numbers above.
AT 
Our prop
An editorial call, not a Signal model output. 19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Please play responsibly.
Buccaneers vs Bengals: 2025 season form
Tampa Bay finished 8-9 at minus 31; Cincinnati went 6-11 at minus 78. Neither differential flatters them.
| 2025 regular season | Buccaneers | Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 8-9 | 6-11 |
| Points for | 380 | 414 |
| Points against | 411 | 492 |
| Point differential | -31 | -78 |
| Sacks recorded | 37 | 35 |
| Sacks allowed | 38 | 36 |
| Interceptions made | 13 | 13 |
| Third-down offence | 41.2% | 43.4% |
| Red-zone offence | 54.0% | 66.7% |
| Red zone allowed | 69.8% | 62.9% |
| Opponent passer rating | 97.5 | 99.4 |
This is a fixture defined by defensive failure. Cincinnati conceded 492 points and Tampa Bay 411, so the highest total on the slate is the reasonable expectation.
Buccaneers vs Bengals injury report and team news
This section updates as soon as the Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags appear. For now, both sides expect their first-choice quarterbacks.
Baker Mayfield starts for Tampa Bay after 3,693 passing yards. Emeka Egbuka leads the receivers, moreover, following 938 yards.
Joe Burrow starts for Cincinnati, with Ja’Marr Chase the primary target after 1,412 receiving yards. Chase Brown carries the run game, meanwhile, following 1,019 rushing yards.
Tampa Bay BuccaneersCincinnati BengalsThe matchup that settles it: Ja’Marr Chase against a Tampa Bay secondary
Chase gained 1,412 receiving yards in 2025, fourth in the league. Tampa Bay conceded a 97.5 opponent passer rating over the same season.
The red zone, similarly, compounds it. Tampa Bay allowed 69.8% of opponent trips inside the twenty to become touchdowns, the weakest rate in this fixture, and Burrow is not the quarterback to waste that.
Players to watch
- Joe Burrow (CIN, QB): The best quarterback on the field, notably by some distance.
- Ja’Marr Chase (CIN, WR): 1,412 receiving yards, indeed fourth in the league.
- Chase Brown (CIN, RB): 1,019 rushing yards for a 6-11 side.
- Baker Mayfield (TB, QB): 3,693 passing yards, moreover, against a leaky Cincinnati defence.
How to watch Buccaneers vs Bengals
The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. CTV shows a Sunday afternoon game in each region, meanwhile, and RDS carries the French-language coverage. Because the CTV pick is regional, DAZN is the reliable route to this particular game through NFL Game Pass. Our full guide to watching the NFL in Canada sets out every window. Squawka may earn a commission if you subscribe through that link.
| Detail | Buccaneers vs Bengals |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, September 13, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 10:00 AM PT |
| Venue | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH |
| TV | CTV (regional) / RDS (French) |
| Live stream | DAZN (NFL Game Pass) / CTV.ca |
| Week | Week 1, 2026 NFL season |
Buccaneers vs Bengals prediction and score projection
Our Buccaneers vs Bengals prediction is a narrow Cincinnati win in a game worth watching for reasons neither coach will enjoy.
Notably, Signal currently puts Tampa Bay at 39% and Cincinnati at 61%, with a projected line of Cincinnati Bengals -3.
Burrow is the best quarterback on the field and Tampa Bay’s red-zone defence is the weakest unit in the fixture. However, Cincinnati conceded 492 points themselves, so this will not be tidy.
So we will take the Bengals, 30-26. Which side carries the value, though, is a separate question from who wins, and the live read on that sits in the Signal block.
Signal rates every game on our NFL picks page. Meanwhile the title race is priced through Super Bowl LXI odds, with both conferences on the NFC and AFC Championship pages. Finally, player markets sit with our NFL player props coverage, and kickoff is confirmed on NFL.com.
Buccaneers vs Bengals FAQ
Cincinnati, narrowly. Indeed the Bengals have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and Tampa Bay conceded 69.8% in the red zone. Ultimately the live win probability and the current market price both sit in the Signal block on this page.
Spreads move all week; therefore both the live line and our model’s projected line sit in the Signal block rather than in this answer. As a guide: Tampa Bay finished minus 31, Cincinnati minus 78.
CTV shows a Sunday afternoon game in each region and RDS carries the French-language coverage, while DAZN has every game through NFL Game Pass. Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 13. Notably the CTV pick is regional.
Joe Burrow, with Ja’Marr Chase as his primary target. Meanwhile Baker Mayfield starts for Tampa Bay.
Bengals 30-26. Both defences conceded heavily last season, so this projects as the highest-scoring game on the Week 1 card.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC) | Please play responsibly | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) | Signal probabilities and odds approximate at time of writing and subject to change