Texans vs. Buccaneers Prediction: The Texans' Defense Is for Real

• The Houston Texans lost in Week 1, 14-9, to the Los Angeles Rams. 

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Atlanta Falcons on the road, 23-20. 

• In Tampa Bay’s Week 1, rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka caught two touchdown passes. 

Week 2 of the NFL season is already here, and in one of the two Monday Night Football games, the Houston Texans (0-1) are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0). 

After losing on the road to the Los Angeles Rams, the Texans’ Super Bowl odds took a hit. It was a rough outing as the Rams' pass rush dominated their offensive line. 

Meanwhile, Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka caught two touchdown passes, which allowed him to surge in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds. 

Below, I’ll cast my picks and predictions for this game. But before that, feel free to check our NFL defense rankings, along with NFL offense rankings.

Texans vs. Buccaneers Odds

All odds for this game are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, where you can get $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins. 

Texans vs. Buccaneers: My Pick

• My Pick: Texans -2.5 (-105) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Heading into this game, the Texans’ offensive line is the punchline, and for good reason. In Week 1, they may have only allowed one sack, but allowed quarterback C.J. Stroud to be pressured 12 times. 

All things considered, Stroud played well, completing 19 of 27 passes (70.4%) for 188 yards. However, that one interception came while he was being pressured. 

Of course, this was against the Los Angeles Rams, who have a defensive line and pass rush that’s among the best in the league.

In Week 2, they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While they have a talented pass rusher in Haason Reddick, the rest of the group leaves a lot ot be desired. 

The rushing attack for the Texans isn’t fantastic, but on 13 carries in Week 1, Nick Chubb looked fine, rushing for 60 yards (4.6 yards per carry). 

Ultimately, though, it’s not the offense that’s convincing me to pick the Texans at home -2.5, it’s their defense.

This defense is loaded with talent, including cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., but more importantly, edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. 

In Week 1, they combined for seven pressures, and Anderson Jr. had a sack. 

Now, they’re going up against a Buccaneers tackle duo that includes Graham Barton, who has been moved to left tackle with Tristan Wirfs hurt, and Luke Goedeke. Together, they allowed seven pressures in Week 1 to the Atlanta Falcons. 

Expect a low-scoring game with the Texans winning and covering the -2.5 point spread. 

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Texans vs. Buccaneers Prediction

Texans Preview

The Texans have massive issues along the offensive line. Not only did they allow 12 pressures and a sack in Week 1, but their best offensive lineman, center Jake Andrews, got hurt and will likely miss this game. 

The goal for the Texans is going to be run the ball and work the quick passing game. 

This is a team that, in its current form with this offensive line, is going to have to get used to winning a lot of 17-14 or 20-17 football games. 

Thankfully, their defense is tremendous. 

In addition to Hunter and Anderson Jr., there’s also Sheldon Rankins in the interior. He had five pressures in Week 1. 

Stingley Jr. did not play well in Week 1, but he’s got a proven track record of being a fantastic cornerback, so one bad game doesn’t change my mind on that. 

The Texans' defense plays a lot of Cover-3 zone coverage, and they’re taking on Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who, throughout his career, has 19 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions against this coverage. 

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Buccaneers Preview

The Buccaneers got the win in Week 1, but part of that came thanks to Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo missing a field goal. 

That said, Mayfield spread the ball around well in Week 1. Three players had a target share of 20% or higher, including Egbuka, Mike Evans, and Sterling Shepard. 

Egbuka finished with two touchdowns. 

Defensively, SirVocea Dennis was a liability. He allowed six catches on seven targets for 116 yards and a touchdown.

The talk around the Texans is their offensive line, and while the Buccaneers are better when comparing the two, it’s not by much. 

Expect another game where Egbuka and Evans are involved. They’ll need ot be as the rushing attack is taking on a Texans defense that allowed just 2.9 yards per carry to the Rams.

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Texans vs. Buccaneers Injuries

Houston Texans

• Cade Stove - placed on injured reserve with a foot injury

• Christian Kirk - hamstring injury

• Braxton Berrios - knee injury

• Jake Andrews - ankle injury

Buccaneers

• Chris Godwin - ankle injury

• Tristan Wirfs - knee injury

• Benjamin Morrison - hip injury

• Christian Izien - oblique injury

Texans vs. Buccaneers: Best Promos and Sportsbooks

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How to Watch Texans vs. Buccaneers

• When: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025

• Where: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas

• How to Watch: ESPN

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