The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets will meet in Week 3 of the NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Tampa Bay opens its home slate in this contest after two straight road games to open the year and the Jets will hit the road for the first time this season. Here, I break down this inter-conference matchup on the gridiron and make my Jets vs Buccaneers prediction.
Our Jets vs Buccaneers Pick
- Pick: Buccaneers -6.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New York Jets vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 21, 2025, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
- Broadcast: FOX
Key Storylines
- The Jets are off to an 0-2 start after losing the Steelers and Bills at home. New York’s defense has allowed 32 points per game and will need to do a better job of stopping the pass in order to get their first win of the season.
- Tampa comes into this game on a short rest week. They play on Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans in Week 2 and will need to perform with one less day of rest than their opponents here.
- The connection between Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka is something to watch going into this game. The rookie wide receiver out of Ohio State made an instant impact by catching the game-winning touchdown in Tampa’s Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons and he will try to build an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidacy with another big game.
Quarterback Play
Baker Mayfield’s command of the Tampa Bay offense has resulted in back-to-back playoff appearances for the Bucs. Mayfield threw three touchdown passes in Tampa’s Week 1 win over Atlanta and he is going to be a key to the outcome of this contest at Raymond James Stadium.
Justin Fields had a good start to his season against the Steelers in Week 1. But he struggled against the Bills in his last outing, throwing for 27 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. His status is up in the air going into this game and the Jets could end up having to play Tyrod Taylor in Fields’ place again in this game.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Jets are 1-1 against the spread to start the season.
- Tampa covered the spread in their first game of the year against the Falcons.
- The Jets are 1-1 in the over/under market going into this game.
Jets vs Buccaneers Model Projection
Score Projection: Jets 19 – Buccaneers 26
Win Probability: Jets 36%, Buccaneers 64%
Final Thoughts
The defense of the Jets is not something I have much trust in going into Week 3 after they gave up 30 points for a second week in a row. New York will have its hands full with another quality quarterback and receiving corps in this contest. Tampa should play well in their first home game of the season and I will gladly lay the points with the Bucs here.
