Buccaneers vs. Texans Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 2 (Tampa Undervalued?)

The Buccaneers are underdogs in Week 2.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is looking to lead his team to an upset win in Week 2. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-0 after knocking off the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, but they find themselves as underdogs in Week 2 against the Houston Texans.

CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans really struggled on offense in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, but it’s clear the betting market isn’t out on the favorite in the AFC South. Can Houston bounce back against a Bucs defense that allowed the Falcons to put up 20 points in Week 1?

There’s a lot to dive into with this game since Tampa Bay has some injuries, and our editors at SI Betting actually have differing opinions on who is going to win.

All season long, the SI Betting team is going to share score predictions using the latest odds and analysis to attempt to get a score right – and give bettors our thoughts on both the spread and total.

So, here’s my prediction for the final score for the first of two Monday Night Football matchups in Week 2. 

Buccaneers vs. Texans Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Buccaneers +2.5 (-115)
• Texans -2.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Buccaneers: +114
• Texans: -135

Total

• 42.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

This line opened with the Texans as 1.5-point favorites, and it actually moved in Houston’s favor despite the fact that the team lost in Week 1 to the Rams.

Tampa Bay is 1-0 against the spread as a favorite this season, but can it cover as an underdog? The Bucs were 5-3 against the spread as underdogs in the 2024 season. 

Buccaneers vs. Texans Final Score Prediction

This week, SI’s NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan and I are on opposite sides of this Monday Night Football matchup. 

MacMillan is betting on the Texans, which he shared in his Road to 272 column: 

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.

While I agree that we shouldn’t overreact to Week 1, I do think the Bucs are a better team that they’re getting credit for – even with some key players out.

Tampa Bay has been a fixture winning the NFC South in the Mayfield era, and the Bucs offense still found a way to put up points in Week 1 against Atlanta. I have confidence in playmakers like Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka and Bucky Irving to still help Tampa Bay score against a tough Texans defense.

The issue I have comes with Houston’s offense.

The team lacks a proven threat in the running game with Nick Chubb aging and Joe Mixon out, and CJ Stroud struggled mightily in Week 1. Remember, this is a rebuilt Texans offensive line that traded away Laremy Tunsil in the offseason. 

I don’t want to lay the points with a Houston team that looked awful on offense in Week 1, and I actually lean with the Bucs to pull out a win on Monday night. 

Final Score Prediction: Buccaneers 20, Texans 16

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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