Buccaneers vs. Texans Point Spread: NFL Week 2 Odds, Prediction
The Texans are -2.5 on the NFL odds with a total of 43.5 points.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It’s rather random how the NFL set up the Monday Night Football doubleheaders this season. We have our first in Week 2, then others in Week 4, 6 and 7 and that’s it. Interestingly, both these clubs will again take part in the Week 7 one: Tampa Bay will be in Detroit, and Houston visits Seattle.
We can’t say it’s impossible that Buccaneers-Texans could be a Super Bowl preview. Not so much that both perhaps are that good, but both are probably the cream of their respective South Divisions. Tampa Bay is a four-time defending NFC South champion and already the -255 heavy favourites because they are the only team in the division with a victory after Week 1.
Can you name the four franchises to never reach a Super Bowl? Houston is one of those. The Texans looked like a rising powerhouse in the AFC in 2023. They won the AFC South and had the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in QB CJ Stroud and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. But the Texans regressed badly in 2024, especially Stroud and the offence. And the early returns for 2025 are not good, but Houston remains the +185 division favourite.
The Texans haven’t been in the NFL all that long so they have played the Buccaneers only six times. Tampa Bay won the first meeting in 2003, but Houston has taken the past five. They last met in Texas in November 2023 and home side prevailed 39-37 in easily the series’ highest-scoring game. Stroud had the game of his career with five TD passes and an NFL rookie-record 479 yards passing. Baker Mayfield threw for two scores in a losing effort but had given the Bucs a 37-33 lead on a 14-yard TD pass to Cade Otton with 46 seconds left. But Stroud drove the Texans right down the field for the winning score.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs could be in really good shape at 2-0 because they haven’t played at home yet. Tampa Bay was -1 for Week 1 in Atlanta and prevailed in a wild one, 23-20. The team is short-handed at wide receiver with Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan both out injured, so rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka got a lot of run in the opener and he took advantage. The former Ohio State star had two TD grabs, including the winner from Baker Mayfield with 59 seconds left. Atlanta did get into position to tie with a 44-yard field goal and force OT but missed.
Mayfield still gets somewhat of a bad rap around the league, but he has been a top-five statistical QB since 2023 and the former Heisman winner managed only 167 yards Sunday but three scores and no turnovers. It marked the 13th time in 38 starts for the Buccaneers, including playoffs, that Mayfield has thrown three-plus touchdown passes in a game. That’s already third in team history despite only joining the club in 2023. His 72 TD passes since then lead the league. Tampa Bay was outgained by nearly 100 yards and held the ball for just 24:48. The absence of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs was pretty clear. He’s not expected back from injury until Week 3 at the earliest. Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its past five September games.
Houston Texans
Houston was without two of its top three veteran receivers in Christian Kirk and Tank Dell, No. 1 running back Joe Mixon and starting right guard Ed Ingram on Sunday, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised the Texans struggled offensively in a 14-9 loss at the Los Angeles Rams, especially when you include an overhauled offensive line. Houston had only 265 yards. CJ Stroud didn’t have much time to throw and totalled 188 yards and an INT. Stroud was sacked three times, pressured on 41 per cent of his dropbacks and hit seven times. Dell will miss at least the first four games on the PUP list. Kirk probably misses Week 2 as well with a hamstring issue. There is no timetable for Mixon.
Veteran Nick Chubb, formerly of Cleveland, was the featured back and was solid with 13 carries for 60 yards. The team looked disjointed with 11 penalties for 80 yards. That included three false starts, two holding calls, an illegal hands to the face and an illegal shift. Defence is going to have to carry this club in the early going, and it might be the most talented overall unit in the league. Houston is 8-3 SU in its past 11 at home.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Buccaneers vs. Texans?
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TB
HOU