Upcoming Match-ups

Cincinnati Bengals vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction, Odds, Spread for Week 15

George Nassios

by George Nassios in NFL Football

Updated Dec 17, 2022 · 1:30 PM PST

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow points
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) adjusts wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) on the line before a play in the second quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals led 13-3 at halftime. Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14 Syndication The Enquirer
  • The streaking Cincinnati Bengals visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, December 18th
  • With five wins in a row, the Bengals are the hottest team in the AFC entering Week 15
  • Check out the Bengals vs Buccaneers odds below, plus our best betting advice for this game

It’s a game being hailed as Tom Brady vs the quarterback dubbed most likely to emulate his career in the NFL once he retires. Obviously at this point, that’s a huge stretch, but Joe Burrow has impressed enough in his young career to make the comparisons an actual discussion.

On Sunday, December 18th, Burrow goes against the seven-time Super Bowl winner for the first time when the Bengals (9-4, 10-3 ATS) visit the Buccaneers (6-7, 3-9-1 ATS) in Tampa. After a horrendous outing against the 49ers last week, the Bucs are 3.5-point home underdogs in the NFL odds for this game.

Kickoff for this matchup is scheduled for 4:25 pm ET from Raymond James Stadium. CBS will be providing the broadcast coverage with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call. See the Bengals vs Buccaneers odds below, while we offer up our picks and prediction for this one.

Bengals vs Buccaneers Odds

Team Spread Total Moneyline
Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 (-110) O 45 (-110) -190
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5 (-110) U 45 (-110) +155

Odds as of December 16th at BetMGM Sportsbook. Click here to get the BetMGM Sportsbook special promo offer for the Bengals vs Buccaneers game.

When it comes to how they’ve done against the spread, these teams are at opposite ends of the totem poll. The Bengals are 10-3 ATS, while the Bucs are just 3-9-1, providing some extra food for thought if you’re leaning Tampa’s way in the NFL odds.

Game-time temperatures are expected to be around 62 degrees fahrenheit, with humidity at about 55.7% making for pretty ideal playing conditions in Florida.

Burrow and Bengals Provide Huge Return Against The Spread

Not only does Cincinnati have a 77% cover rate so far this year, but their return on investment is the best in the league when picking them against the spread. If you’ve been betting on the Bengals ATS since the beginning of the year, you’ve gotten a 47.92% return on your investment.

That’s an NFL cash cow if there ever was one. Recently, they’ve been even more of a lock making them hard to resist betting on in the Week 15 NFL lines. Since beating Miami 29-15 in their last game of September, Cincinnati has covered in nine of 10 games. They’re also 10-2 ATS over the past 12 road games dating back to last season.

Burrow is in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career as he attempts to make a run in the NFL MVP odds. Since Week 6, he’s thrown 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions, with all of those picks coming on passes deflected or intercepted by a defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage.

While everybody is enamored by the quarterback matchup, the young star will be focused on pushing his team’s winning streak to six. With Lamar Jackson out, the Bengals would like to pounce on the opportunity to snatch top spot in the AFC North division.

Buccaneers Searching for a Lifeline

Coming off an embarrassing 35-7 beatdown in his hometown of San Francisco, Brady will look to bounce back as the Bucs attempt to climb back to .500. With a 6-7 record, they still lead the NFC South and are at -280 in the NFC playoff odds, but another defeat could put that status into serious jeopardy.

Last week was the first time in the GOAT’s career that he lost to an opposing pivot in that quarterback’s first career start. When it rains it pours, and there appears to be no end in sight to this storm with the red-hot Bengals in town.

While Cincy has been the King of the ATS odds all season, Tampa is just 1-8-1 ATS since the beginning of October. The offense just can’t seem to get on the same page as they’ve scored over 20 points just once in the last five weeks. With 17.2 points per game, they rank 28th overall in the league.

Their running game continues to let them down, although a lot of that has to do with the Bucs playing from behind, forcing a heavy passing offense in the 2nd half. Averaging just 72.9 yards per game on the ground, Tampa ranks dead last in the league in that category.

Bengals vs Buccaneers Prediction

Looking at the NFL public betting trends, you’d definitely be going against the grain if you wanted to fade here. Cincinnati is seeing 77% of the money bet against the spread as 3.5-point favorites in Tampa Bay with the public seemingly losing trust in the 45-year-old Brady.

Any given Sunday, right? That’s the only way it would make sense to pick the Buccaneers here given the performance of both these teams heading into this matchup.

One other betting note is that both teams have a high tendency to go under the betting total. Cincy has gone under in eight of their 13 games, while Tampa is 10-3 when you bet them to hit the under. It’s actually a good spot to bet money on the Bucs as they’ve provided a 47.69% ROI when you pick them to go under.

As such, we have a couple of predictions we like in the Bengals vs Buccaneers odds. Take Cincy to cover the 3.5-point spread and under 45 points in the NFL betting odds.

  • Pick: Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 (-110), 1.5 Units; Under 45 Points (-110), 1 Unit
  • 2022 NFL Season Picks Record: 2-8, -6.24 units

 

DRAFTKINGS
SPORTSBOOK


Bet $5 & Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + a No Sweat NBA SGP Every Day!

LOCK IN PROMO
SIGNUP PROMO
BET $5
GET $200

+ A NO SWEAT NBA SGP

GET PROMO
Author Image