Expert Picks, Odds & Lineups for Bucs vs Jets (Aug 14)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets will collide Friday, August 14, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for both teams’ preseason opener. The 2026 NFL season is right around the corner, and both teams are ready to iron out details in the next few weeks, even if not many starters see the field in this preseason contest.

Kickoff for this game is scheduled at 7 p.m. ET.  I’m analyzing this game from a statistical perspective, though since this is a preseason game and the head-to-head numbers and 2025 stats don’t carry much weight, player availability should paint a clear picture of the favorite in this matchup.

Buccaneers vs Jets: Injury Report

If you have questions regarding who will suit up for both the Buccaneers and Jets in this 2026 preseason opener, look no further.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers player availability for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Preseason

The Buccaneers won’t be playing Baker Mayfield in the preseason opener, but that shouldn’t be surprising. The veteran signal-caller didn’t see action in the 2025 preseason, either, and a similar approach is expected here. Considering Jake Browning is questionable due to a back problem, it seems the third-string quarterback, Connor Bazelak, should be under center Friday. The Buccaneers have strong Odds to Make the NFL Playoffs out of the NFC South, so they should be wise to rest their starters in preseason.

It remains to be seen whether the other starters will appear in this preseason opener, but even if that’s the case, the Bucs’ passing game could be weakened since Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee) and Tez Johnson (groin) are all slated to miss this matchup through injury as well. 

The Buccaneers will be pretty strong in other areas. The lone projected starters who are dealing with injuries are Vita Vea (back), who tops the depth chart at nose tackle, and starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs (hamstring). If Wirfs doesn’t play Friday, look for Benjamin Chukwuma to take his place in a pivotal role on the offensive line.

New York Jets player availability for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Preseason

According to head coach Aaron Glenn and as Al Iannazzone of Newsday noted Tuesday, the Jets’ starters will play in Friday’s preseason opener against the Buccaneers, meaning names such as Geno Smith, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Omar Cooper, as well as Mason Taylor, are all slated to see action. 

That said, starting-caliber players often play one or two series during preseason games if they suit up at all, so it wouldn’t be surprising if backups play throughout the majority of the contest.

In terms of injuries, the Jets are listing more than 10 players as dealing with some sort of fitness issue ahead of this opener. The most recognizable names out of that group include tight end Kenyon Sadiq (hernia), defensive ends Kingsley Enagbare and Kingsley Jonathan, cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and Jarvis Brownlee, and safety Andre Cisco. 

As things stand, the Jets should be pretty strong on offense but rather decimated on defense.

Buccaneers vs Jets Odds

The odds for this preseason matchup clearly indicate which side is the favorite, as shown below.

Odds as of Friday, August 14, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET from TheScoreBet

At the end of the day, the Jets will have their starters on offense, while the Buccaneers are dealing with several injuries. The Jets could take advantage of that to grab an early lead, but the disparity in terms of talent on offense, even if it’s for a series or two, sets the tone of our odds.

The spread sits at +5.5, meaning the game should be fairly close at the end of the day. Even though only two of six games covered the 5.5-point spread in Thursday’s slate, I’m predicting a tight game here. These are two offenses that, when at their best, still ranked in the bottom half of the league in total yards during the 2025 regular season.

As for the over/under totals, these are two subpar offenses that will be using lots of backups in what should be a sloppy affair — as most preseason contests are. Preseason games rarely go over 35 total points, so I’m projecting the under here.

Buccaneers vs Jets Betting Splits

According to our NFL public betting data, the tendencies are clear. A whopping 62% of the bets are on the Jets as ML winners, while most of the movement is on the over, with 80% of the bets and 74% of the money. The spread shows a closer split, with 47% of the money backing the Jets to cover the -5.5 spread, and 53% siding with Tampa Bay’s +5.5

Buccaneers vs Jets: Picks and Best Bets

After carefully analyzing the matchup, both teams’ tendencies, and the player availability, these are my top picks for Friday’s Buccaneers vs Jets matchup.

Best Pick: Under 35.5 points, -115 @ TheScoreBet

The Buccaneers will have a third-string quarterback under center, their top running back is likely to be limited to a series or two, and several wide receivers are dealing with injuries. As for the Jets, they might have their starters for the first one or two series of this preseason opener, but there’s not much you can expect from an offense that ranked 29th in total yards in 2025. With those numbers, it’s not surprising to see the Jets sitting low in the NFL win totals.

Thus, the lack of offensive quality will be noticeable on both teams. That’s why I’m leaning on the under, as preseason games tend to be sloppy and without a lot of efficiency on either side of the ball. Out of the six preseason games that were played Thursday, four ended below the 35.5-point threshold, and I’m not expecting that tendency to change.

Best Secondary Pick: Jets to record 1+ rushing touchdown, -160 @ TheScoreBet

The Buccaneers aren’t dealing with many absences on the defensive side of the ball, but if there’s one thing the Jets do well, that’s running the ball. Geno Smith can make plays with his legs, and Breece Hall is one of the best RBs in the league when healthy. Even if they’re out there for a series or two, don’t be surprised if the Jets find a way to score via the ground.