Best NFL Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Buccaneers vs. Texans on Monday Night Football in NFL Week 2)

Breaking down some of the best bets for Monday night!

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb is a great prop target on Monday. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Week 2 in the 2025 NFL season features not one, but two Monday Night Football matchups, starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the Houston Texans.

Two playoff teams from last season, Tampa Bay and Houston had very different showings in Week 1, but Houston is favored at home in this matchup. 

Tampa Bay erased a fourth-quarter deficit on a Baker Mayfield touchdown pass to rookie Emeka Egbuka to knock off the Atlanta Falcons — even though some key players were sidelined for the contest.

Houston, on the other hand, struggled to generate any offense against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, failing to cover as small underdogs on the road.

Can CJ Stroud and company bounce back in Week 2?

It won’t be easy against a Bucs team that has been a staple atop the NFC South in recent seasons.

All week long, the SI Betting team has been making picks for this game, and I’ve decided to put some of our favorites all in one spot to help bettors wager on this Monday Night Football matchup. 

Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Buccaneers vs. Texans

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

• Houston Texans -2.5 (-115) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Iain MacMillan
• Mike Evans Anytime TD (+140) – Peter Dewey
• Nick Chubb OVER 50.5 Rush Yards (-115) – Iain MacMillan
• Emeka Egbuka OVER 52.5 Receiving Yards (-111) – Peter Dewey

Houston Texans -2.5 (-115) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Iain MacMillan

Earlier this week, SI’s NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan shared his favorite bet for this game in his Road to 272 column – where he bets on every game, every week: 

I'm doing my best not to overreact to Week 1 in this game. There's no getting past how bad the Texans' offense looked, but I have faith they can bounce back in this spot. More importantly, their defense can win them this game. They had one of the best secondaries in the NFL last season, and they did a great job slowing down Matthew Stafford in Week 1, but didn't get the help they needed from their offense. They should be able to do a similar job against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will still be without Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin.

Don't underestimate Will Anderson Jr. and the Texans' pass-rush taking advantage of the banged-up Buccaneers' offensive line and putting pressure on Baker Mayfield.

Mike Evans Anytime TD (+140) – Peter Dewey

Looking for a touchdown scorer pick in this game? Mike Evans has been a touchdown machine in his career, and he could be worth a look after a down Week 1: 

Houston’s secondary was beatable in Week 1, as Puka Nacua finished with over 100 receiving yards on 10 catches for the Rams.

Enter Mike Evans – the No. 1 option for the Bucs – who is coming off a slightly down game in Week 1. 

Evans finished with just five catches for 51 yards, but he remains one of the best red zone targets in the NFL. Evans has scored double-digit touchdowns in four of the last five seasons, so I love betting on him at +140 to hit paydirt in a game that the Bucs could be playing from behind. 

Nick Chubb OVER 50.5 Rush Yards (-115) – Iain MacMillan

MacMillan also shared a prop for Chubb in his Player Prop Countdown – where he picks his 10 favorite props each week in the NFL: 

Nick Chubb had a solid Week 1 performance for the Houston Texans, averaging 4.6 yards per rush for 60 yards on 13 touches. What's even more important than that is Texans' head coach DeMeco Ryan's comments about Chubb after the game:

"I think Chubb ran the ball really well… We’re going to try to lean in with Chubb a little bit more."

The Texans spread the ball around their running backs in Week 1, but based on Ryan's comments, I think we're going to see Chubb be their primary back on Monday Night Football against the Buccaneers. That's enough for me to take the OVER on his rushing yards total of 50.5.

Emeka Egbuka OVER 52.5 Receiving Yards (-111) – Peter Dewey

After a huge Week 1, Egbuka is a great target in Week 2 against Houston: 

First-round pick Emeka Egbuka received a ton of love in the offseason as the answer for the Bucs with Chris Godwin out, and boy did he deliver in Week 1.

The rookie had four catches on six targets for 67 yards and a pair of scores against the Atlanta Falcons, and he figures to be a major part of the team’s offense in Week 2. 

Egbuka played 93.1 percent of the offensive snaps for the Bucs, and he’s locked into the No. 2 receiver role behind Mike Evans. In a high-powered offense, Egbuka should thrive against a Houston team that allowed the 10th-most passing yards in the NFL in Week 1.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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