Broncos vs. Buccaneers Score Prediction for NFL Week 3 (Will Bucs Stay Hot?)

Will the Bucs keep their perfect season alive against a struggling Broncos team?

Sep 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before their game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Eamon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Eamon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have got off to a hot start to their 2024 campaign, beating the Commanders in Week 1 and then upsetting the Lions in Week 2 as touchdown underdogs.

The same can't be said for the Broncos, who have stumbled in the first two games of the Bo Nix-era, looking abysmal offensively against both the Seahawks and Steelers. As a result, the Bucs are listed as big time favorites at home to their AFC opponent.

Is this game as straight forward as it seems, or can the Broncos pull off an improbable win? Let's find out what the oddsmakers think and then I'm going to attempt to predict the exact final score of the game.

Let's dive into it.

Broncos vs. Buccaneers Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Broncos +6.5 (-105)
• Buccaneers -6.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Broncos +250
• Buccaneers -310

Total

• OVER 40.5 (-115)
• UNDER 40.5 (-105)

After being underdogs of a touchdown last week, the Buccaneers are now favored by almost a touchdown against the Broncos. Tampa Bay opened as a 7-point favorite, but the spread came down half a point to Broncos +6.5.

The total is set at a relatively low number of 40.5.

Broncos vs. Buccaneers Final Score Prediction

In his betting preview, Peter Dewey is taking the UNDER in this game, despite the low total:

The Broncos may have gone OVER the total in their Week 1 matchup against Seattle, but the defense put Denver in position to score most of their 20 points.

Last week, the Broncos failed to score a touchdown, and Bo Nix threw two more picks, killing a drive in the red zone in the process.

After watching Denver score six points in Week 2, I simply can’t expect this game to go OVER the total.

Denver ranks ninth in the NFL in opponent yards per play this season – a sign that the defense is doing its job – but even if the Bucs score a decent amount of points, I don’t think Denver does enough to push this game over the total of 40.

The Bucs should win this game, but I could see this being a low-scoring effort on both sides if the Denver defense shows up like it did against Pittsburgh.

I agree with Peter on the total. The Broncos offense has been bad, but their defense has been a top 10 unit through the first two weeks this season. But what about a side in this game?

It's tough to bet on the Broncos to pull off this upset with how poor Bo Nix has looked through the first two games of the season, but can he keep this game close and cover the 6.5-point spread? I think he and the Broncos can pull that off.

Nix has struggled through the first two weeks, but he's had to play against to top 10 defenses in the Seahawks and Steelers. Now, he gets to play a Buccaneers defense that is banged up and has allowed both the Commanders and Lions to move the ball down the field.

If Nix can put together a solid start and the Broncos' defense can hang on, I think this game will be closer than people think, but the Bucs will ultimately get the win.

Final Score Prediction: Buccaneers 17, Broncos 13

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