Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Week 15 of the NFL season will resume on Sunday mid-afternoon with a compelling non-conference showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coverage begins from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.

Updated on 05/07/2024

BetMGM Exclusive Offer: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,600 in Sports Bonus!

Bonus Code VIBONUS1600 Claim Now

Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING PREDICTION

The Buccaneers’ struggles on the offensive side of the ball have been absolutely stunning this season, as Tom Brady and co. currently rank 28th in the league in scoring and 26th in yardage per play with averages of 17.2 PPG and 5.1 YPP on the year. 

However, despite their shortcomings on offense, the Bucs still pace the NFC South with a relatively pedestrian record of 6-7, with the majority of their limited success thus far stemming from the dominance of their ninth-ranked defensive unit (19.5 PPG).

While on the other hand, the Bengals posted a frustrating 2-3 skid to open the season, which was an incredibly out of character stretch for this squad, as Cincy’s defense surrendered just 17.8 PPG and forced eight turnovers in their first five games of the year, but it never led to much success due to their offense averaging just 21.6 PPG across that window.

However, the Bengals have completely turned things around since their opening skid, as Joe Burrow and co. now enter Sunday having won seven of their last eight contests, while racking up a lofty average of 28.4 PPG across their latest stretch. And it’s not like they’ve totally avoided the injury bug either, considering Ja’Marr Chase missed half of those affairs with a hip injury. 

Personally, I thought Tampa was getting too much love as a 3.5-point underdog against San Francisco last week, which ultimately, proved to be the case in the Niners’ triumphant 35-7 rout of the Bucs. And I think we’re looking at a similar situation this Sunday with the oddsmakers still not quite ready to write off Brady. 

Betting against Brady is always a dangerous game, however, it’s certainly been a game worth playing this season. I’m still not quite ready to say Brady is done or washed, though. Personally, I don’t think he’s the issue at all. 

But the fact of the matter is, the Bucs’ offense has been terrible all year. They’ve now scored 21 PTS or less in 11-of-13 matchups this year. And I’ll continue to dial them up for the occasional fade until I get burned a few times, especially in matchups against high-powered offensive units like the Bengals.

Score Prediction: Bengals 27, Buccaneers 20
Best Bet: Bengals -3.5 (-110)

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Super Bowl Odds | Expert Picks

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Sunday, December 18, 2022
Matchup: AFC North vs. NFC South
Venue: Raymond James Stadium
Location: Tampa, Florida
Time-TV: CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET

CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Bengals stumbled out to a frustrating start to the season, as Cincinnati posted a bumpy 2-3 skid out of the gate, primarily stemming from their offense generating 20 points or less in three of those contests.

However, the Bengals have looked like bonafide Super Bowl contenders since their opening skid, considering Joe Burrow and co. have averaged over 28 PPG across their latest 7-1 stretch. And their defense has continued to pull its weight, having surrendered 21 points or less in half of those contests.

So, it’s tough to deny the value in taking the Bengals ATS as short home favorites in Sunday’s matchup against a Bucs’ offense that’s scored 22+ points just twice so far this season.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Bucs always appear to be teetering on the edge of a breakout performance with Brady at the helm. But are they really? Their offense has fallen short of the 21.5-point mark in 11-of-13 matchups so far this season, and they haven’t been showing many signs of improvement as of late.

When you bet against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, you always run the risk of getting burned. It doesn’t matter how bad Brady performs for the rest of his career, nobody can ever take his seven rings away from him. And he’s still capable of leading his team to victory in virtually any contest.

Unfortunately, though, those rings haven’t meant anything so far this season. And they won’t mean anything to this red-hot Bengals squad either. So, Tampa is going to need to score some points this Sunday.

Will I be totally shocked if Tampa flips the script and makes a Super Bowl run? Of course not. We’re talking about Tom Brady here. But until this offense shows some signs of life, I’d keep fading this Bucs squad, especially in matchups against legitimate title contenders.

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Bengals are 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Cincinnati's last 18 games.
• The Bucs are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Tampa Bay's last five games.
• The Bucs are 4-1 SU in their last five home games.
• The Bengals are 5-0 SU in their last five games.
• The Bengals are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against Tampa Bay.
• The Bengals are 2-6 SU in their last eight games against Tampa Bay.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson