Fresh off a pair of road wins to open the season, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (2-0) welcome Tyrod Taylor and the winless New York Jets (0-2) to Tampa. Taylor gets the start because Justin Fields (concussion) was ruled out of Sunday’s game Wednesday afternoon.
Taylor’s job is to lead an offense that gained all of 154 yards last weekend against the Bills with the final 54 coming on a touchdown drive after the Jets were down 30-3. Rough sledding.
As anemic as the offense was, the bigger issue may be on the defensive side of the ball. How is Sauce Gardner going to cover Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Sterling Shepherd, and maybe even Chris Godwin? And then there’s also RB Bucky Irving with whom to contend.
Enough handwringing if you are a Jets’ fan. Lets take a deeper dive into this week’s matchup between the Jets and the Buccaneers.
NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from DraftKings, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.
Game Details and How to watch the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers live Sunday
- Date: Sunday, September 21, 2025
- Time: 1:00PM EST
- Site: Raymond James Stadium
- City: Tampa, FL
- Network/Streaming: FOX
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Game odds for the Jets vs the Buccaneers
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: New York Jets (+270), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-340)
- Spread: Buccaneers -7
- Total: 43.5 points
This game opened at Buccaneers -5.5 with the Game Total set at 44.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule!
Quarterback Matchup for New York at Tampa Bay
- Jets Expected Starting QB: Tyrod Taylor
Last Game: 9/14 vs. Buffalo – 7-11 (63.6%), 56yds, 1 TD, 0 INTs, Sacked 2 times, 3 carries for 21yds
Season: 1GP, 7-11 (63.6%), 56yds, 1 TD, 0 INTs, Sacked 2 times, 3 carries for 21yds - Buccaneers Expected Starting QB: Baker Mayfield
Last Game: 9/15 at Houston - 25-38 (65.8%), 2 TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 4 times, 3 carries for 33yds
Season: 2GP, 42-70 (60%), 382yds, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 5 times, 8 carries for 72yds
Jets at Buccaneers team stats, betting trends
- The Buccaneers have won 4 of their last 5 games against AFC East teams
- The Jets went 6-11 against the spread last season
- 5 of the Jets’ last 6 road games have gone over the Total
Jets Player Injuries
- QB Justin Fields (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday’s game
- WR Josh Reynolds (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DE Jermaine Johnson (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Tony Adams (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Michael Carter II (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- KR Kene Nwangwu (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- DT Jay Tufele (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Buccaneers Player Injuries
- WR Chris Godwin Jr. (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LT Tristan Wirfs (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- RG Cody Mauch (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- RT Luke Goedeke (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- Calijah Kancey (pectoral muscle) has been declared out of Sunday’s game
Rotoworld Bet Best Bets
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper): Jets +6.5 (-110)
Tampa fighting through a cluster injury to their offensive line where none of their outstanding starters from 2024 are playing their true position opening up an opportunity for the Jets DL to put a huge impact on this game. Fair for me is +4.5.
Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick): Emeka Egbuka - Touchdown Machine and Early ROY Value
Through two weeks, Emeka Egbuka has already established himself as one of the most reliable rookie playmakers in the league. Three touchdowns in two games speaks volumes — he’s making the most of every target and showing a knack for finding the end zone.
While I’ll definitely be tracking his reception totals week to week, the real story here is his scoring ability. Touchdown props are going to be worth monitoring closely, especially given how consistently he’s being used in the red zone.
But there’s a bigger angle to play here: Offensive Rookie of the Year. The odds have already shortened, moving from +650 to +450, which tells you the market is catching on fast. If Egbuka continues at anything close to this pace, the window for value is going to slam shut.
This feels like the time to buy in. He’s clearly earning trust in the offense, he’s producing when called on, and the touchdown numbers are stacking up. Betting his props in the short term makes sense, but getting on the OROY train before the value evaporates might be the sharpest move.
Plays to Consider:
- Emeka Egbuka anytime touchdown scorer
- Emeka Egbuka receptions (over)
- Emeka Egbuka Offensive Rookie of the Year (+450, grab it now)
***
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, stadium information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between the Jets and the Buccaneers:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Jets at +7.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 45.0.
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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
● Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
● Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
● Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
● Trysta Krick (@Trista_Krick)
