The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not enjoyed a very flattering start to the 2022 NFL season. But we have some good news: It looks like that will change during their Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, October 16, at 1 p.m EST.
Granted, not everyone feels this way. The Buccaneers have been a rickety investment for many. They are just 3-2 through their first five games, with losses against the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs on the ledger. Furthermore, they almost lost to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5. That has led many of the best NFL online betting sites to dramatically lower Tampa Bay's odds to win the Super Bowl.
To be honest, we're not ready to go that far. We still believe in the Buccaneers. But we'll get into that. First, we need to have a look at the latest latest NFL online betting odds for Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh, which we have grabbed from BetOnline:
Make sure to recheck these Steelers vs. Buccaneers betting odds until you actually submit your wager. The odds on the NFL we're using are accurate entering Tuesday, October 11, which gives them plenty of time to shift before the opening kickoff.
Should you still need a place to bet on the NFL in 2022, we strongly urge you to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. We've jam-packed them with a bunch of valuable information that can help you identify the best betting sites for the NFL during the 2022 season.
Without further ado, let's get to our predictions for Steelers vs. Buccaneers—which will include picking the moneyline, point spread and over/under!
Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will Get a Surefire Victory
We defended the Bucs falling to .500 entering last week. Losses to the Packers and Chiefs are understandable. But their Week 5 win over the Atlanta Falcons was unnecessarily close. They mustered just 21 points against and a six-point victory over one of the NFL's weaker defenses. Maybe it is time to be concerned with their Super Bowl ceiling.
Counterpoint: Maybe not.
The Bucs have scored at least three touchdowns in each of their past two games, including 31 points against a Chiefs defense that has become woefully underrated. Beyond that, after a slow start, the passing game is starting to come back to Tom Brady. The Bucs have toppled 350 passing yards in each of the past two contests.
Tampa Bay should enjoy similar production against the Steelers in Week 6—if not better results. Pittsburgh is 30th in total passing yards allowed and 26th overall in points surrendered per game. What's more, they appear to be regressing. Their past three opponents have combined to drop 91 points—which amounts to more than 30 per game.
To their credit, the Steelers have been able to generate turnovers. They are first in interceptions forced. But that's largely because they feasted upon a weak New York Jets team that tossed four INTs in Week 4. Anyway, their ultra-aggressive scheme is a way of covering up for a talent deficit. That may work against lower-level QBs. It won't fly against Tom Brady. This should be an easy W for the Bucs.
OSB Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-355)
Should We Trust the Bucs to Cover the Point Spread While Visiting the Steelers in Pittsburgh?
Here are the latest point spread betting odds for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, -8 (-110)
- Pittsburgh Steelers, +8 (-110)
If we're being honest, the eight-point spread scares us. We believe this will be a surefire win for the Bucs, but Tampa Bay's offense has also been touch-and-go at points. They combined for 39 points through the first two weeks of the season, winning both games thanks to a defense that dismantles opposing quarterbacks.
Fast forward a few weeks, however, and we're feeling a little better about the state of the offense. Tom Brady has brought his completion percentage back above 68 while raking in 724 passing yards over the past two weeks.
Plus, we have to consider the defense. Tampa Bay knows how to keep their opponents out of the end zone and is quietly sixth in interceptions forced. Even if the Bucs offense doesn't go kaboom, the defense probably will. After all, that's how Tampa Bay won each of their first two games by double-digits despite the offense struggling.
OSB Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, -8 (-110)
Why is the Over/Under on the Steelers vs. Buccaneers So Low?
Below you can see the NFL over/under betting odds for Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay:
- Over 43.5 (-110)
- Under 43.5 (-110)
Those who bet on the over have been burned by both the Bucs and Steelers this season. The under has hit seven times in 10 combined games for these squads.
Part of us wants to play the odds. And we think we will.
The Steelers have yet to score 25 points this season and are coming off a Week 5 disaster in which they mustered just three. (Yes, three.) The Bucs may be more potent, but their short-yardage throws over the middle of the field are designed to kill clock. They're not looking to sniff 30 points every week. And even if they do against the Steelers, it might not matter. Pittsburgh is absolutely a team that could struggle to put up 14 points against the Tampa Bay defense.
In our heart of hearts, this feels like a game designed to favor the Bucs at 26-14. We'll take the under.
OSB Prediction: Under 43.5 (-110)
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