The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets will face off in NFL Week 1 on Friday, Aug. 14. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The game will broadcast live on NFL Network.
The Jets are favored by -5.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 35.5 total points. The Jets are a 58¢ favorite to win outright, while the Buccaneers are 42¢ to pull off the upset on Kalshi.
Let's get into my Buccaneers vs Jets predictions for Friday night's NFL preseason game.
My Buccaneers vs Jets Prediction
- Buccaneers vs Jets trade: Jets 58%
My Buccaneers vs Jets best bet is on New York to win outright. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Buccaneers vs Jets Odds
Buccaneers vs Jets NFL Preseason Preview
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Preview
Like the Jets, the Buccaneers were also quite busy this past offseason after failing to make the postseason in 2025.
Tampa completely overhauled its roster and coaching staff. The Bucs hired former Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson to take over as offensive coordinator after a two-year stint with the Falcons in the same capacity.
Robinson was just one of several changes made to the coaching staff, also bringing in Danny Smith to take over as special teams coordinator.
Tampa had a phenomenal 2026 NFL Draft class, selecting Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick, which was unbelievable value for a guy who slipped down the draft board due to concerns about his arm length.
In addition to Bain, Missouri OLB Josiah Trotter and Miami CB Keionte Scott were two other great additions to the team’s defense.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who is largely praised for his prowess as a defensive schematic specialist, was instrumental in bringing several more defensive talents via free agency this past offseason.
The Bucs added LB Alex Anzalone and OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad, both of whom should play a vital role in the defense’s ability to pressure the QB in the upcoming season.
Bowles’ squad also signed DL A’Shawn Robinson, adding another massive defensive presence who will surely be very effective playing alongside DT Vita Vea.
While the team was extremely active in making defensive improvements in the offseason, the same cannot be said of its offense, particularly after losing both WR Mike Evans and RB Rachaad White.
Fortunately, they were able to re-sign TE Cade Otton and brought in Kenneth Gainwell as well, after the RB rushed for over 500 yards and five TDs for Pittsburgh in 2025.
Both WR Emeka Egbuka and RB Bucky Irving enter the season with expectations of heavy usage and will definitely play massive roles as QB Baker Mayfield’s primary playmakers in 2026.
The Bucs enter their first 2026 NFL preseason matchup on Friday night as a 42% underdog on Kalshi.
New York Jets Betting Preview
Following another disappointing campaign in 2025, with a 3-14 overall record, head coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets' front office had a ton of work to do this past offseason, looking for substantial improvements on both sides of the football.
New York made waves in April’s NFL Draft by selecting Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick, which I expect to be a phenomenal addition for a team that ranked 31st last season in points per game allowed at 29.7.
Bailey was just one of several moves the Jets made to improve defensively. They also hired a new defensive coordinator, Brian Duker, who coached alongside Glenn with the Detroit Lions.
After trading DE Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans, the Jets added some further edge-rushing help by signing former Bengal Joseph Ossai to a three-year $34.5 million deal.
Both Bailey and Ossai will be massive additions for a defense that ranked second-to-last in the NFL last season in total sacks.
New York also acquired former Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on a three-year, $40 million contract, seeking major improvement to a secondary that was absolutely dreadful last season, failing to intercept a single pass all season long.
Other key defensive additions include DT David Onyemata, DE Kingsley Enagbare, S Dane Belton, and CB Nahshon Wright.
On the offensive side, the Jets landed veteran QB Geno Smith in a pick swap with the Raiders that also sent QB Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs. This will be Geno’s second stint with the Jets after having spent the first four years of his NFL career in New York.
The Jets were far less active in adding to their offense in the offseason, but made some key picks in the draft, including selecting Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq in addition to Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
Glenn’s bunch enters their first preseason matchup as a 58% favorite to prevail on Kalshi.
Buccaneers vs Jets Prediction, Betting Analysis
Despite how poorly the Jets have played as a team over the last several seasons, I have far more faith in backing New York to win on Friday night, given they have far more depth amongst their backup units.
I'm willing to take a shot on the Jets at 58% on Kalshi despite this number looking a tad too steep ahead of Friday’s clash.
Trade: Jets 58%
