Buccaneers Receive Interesting Betting Odds for Week 1 Matchup vs. Bengals

Once again, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the road to begin their season.

Nov 30, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to kick off their 2026 season on the road, just as they've done in three of their last four seasons. This time around, though, they're set to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in what should be a pretty tough matchup.

The Bucs have lost their last three games to the Bengals dating back to 2014, so Tampa Bay will look to change a trend when they head up north to play them. There's another trend on their side that might give them an advantage against Cincinnati, but oddsmakers aren't buying in on the Bucs to kick the season off.

DraftKings Sportsbook recently opened the odds on every NFL Week 1 matchup, and the Bengals are favored by 3.5 points at home over the visiting Buccaneers in that game.

🚨 WEEK 1 SPREADS ARE LIVE 🚨

🏈 NE @ SEA -3.5
🏈 SF @ LAR -2.5
🏈 NO @ DET -7
🏈 CHI @ CAR +2.5
🏈 BUF @ HOU +1.5
🏈 NYJ @ TEN -3
🏈 TB @ CIN -3.5
🏈 CLE @ JAX -7
🏈 BAL @ IND +3.5
🏈 ATL @ PIT -3
🏈 ARI @ LAC -11.5
🏈 MIA @ LV -3
🏈 GB @ MIN +1.5
🏈 WAS @ PHI -5.5
🏈 DAL @… pic.twitter.com/MboK6qWcLW

— DraftKings Sports (@DKSports) May 15, 2026

Buccaneers open as 3.5 underdogs vs. Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This makes sense on the surface. The Bengals are at home, which warrants a bump in betting odds, and quarterback Joe Burrow is set to return to action after being injured for most of last year. The Bengals also spent a lot of money in free agency adding some defensive players, and as a result, they could be a tough team to play in 2026.

Recent trends, however, may point toward that being a mistake. The Buccaneers have won their last five season openers dating back to 2020, with three of those games happening on the road. Consequently, the Bengals tend to start slow to open up the season — Cincinnati has lost three of its last four season openers, so the trend there points toward Tampa Bay.

The Bucs have shored up a defense that desperately needed it in free agency and the NFL Draft, including the acquisition of edge rusher Rueben Bain with the No. 15 pick. Tampa Bay's new-look defense will face off against a similarly fresh Bengals roster, so Week 1 should be a good litmus test for both teams to get the NFL season started.

The Bucs will play that game at 1 p.m. on Sept 13. Until then, though, there's plenty of work to do in the offseason — their next venture is OTAs, which will start on May 26.

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