Tampa Bay gave top quarterback Jameis Winston a longer leash last week and it’s expected that he’ll out-snap opposing starter Marcus Mariota in this one too. Winston has a four-game suspension to start the year, so it’s really the more snaps the better for him at this point.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Titans may be favoured by a field goal but the Bucs are built for the pre-season (as sad as that is). Unlike Tennessee, Tampa Bay still has starting QB and RB reps up for grabs so we can expect the competition to up their aggression in this one. With that said, they are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 Saturday games (for what it’s worth) and 2-6-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last nine road games. Oddsmakers have them listed as 3-point underdogs on the NFL odds board. Meanwhile, the stat lines read differently for the Tennessee Titans. They are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven at home and a perfect 4-0 through their last four ATS on grass.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As mentioned, Jameis Winston is expected to play a decent chunk once again this week, but the QB to watch for is Ryan Griffin. The former undrafted free agent went 20-of-26 for 179 yards and a touchdown last week and is expected to see a prominent role once again on Saturday.

On defence, the team is very thankful that veteran cornerback Brent Grimes returned to practice this week because that secondary is in shambles. They lost starting cornerback Vernon Hargraeves to a groin injury against Miami last week. They are currently teaching new signees Amari Coleman and Aaron Davis the playbook while De’Vante Davis is also in need of a few lessons as he just arrived off waivers on Monday. Needless to say, you shouldn’t be shocked if their defence looks a little lost this weekend.

Tennessee Titans

With their offence pretty well intact, all eyes now turn to the Titans back end and just who will fill in for their injured star safety Jonathan Cyprien. He was placed on the IR two weeks ago and the battle to fill his shoes has intensified. Steven Terrell, Kenny Voccaro, Ladarius Webb and Mike Mitchell are all vying for the role. At one point in time, Voccaro was considered the favourite, but with the signing of Terrell last Friday, it looks like the gig is still up for grabs.

Buccaneers vs. Titans Prediction