Buccaneers vs. Texans for MNF Preview and Free Pick

Last Updated on September 12, 2025 2:38 pm by Erwin Noguera

We’ve reached the second Monday Night Football of the season, and this time the Houston Texans will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Texans are coming off a 14-9 loss in their opener against the Los Angeles Rams, while the Buccaneers came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons 20-23 on the road with a last-minute touchdown.

Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Odds and Info

Why Bet on Texans?

The Houston Texans surprised everyone last year by winning the AFC South with a 10-7 record and, above all, eliminating the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round. It was undoubtedly a shock nobody expected, although they couldn’t replicate it in the Divisional Round, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs and being knocked out of the playoffs.

This season, they hope to repeat those achievements, but they didn’t start on the right foot. It wasn’t a good game for DeMeco Ryans’ side, as they lost 14-9 on the road to the Los Angeles Rams. They failed to score a single touchdown, with all their points coming from three Ka’imi Fairbairn field goals.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud went 19 of 27 for 188 yards, with his longest pass being 23 yards. He was intercepted once and sacked three times, losing 37 yards.

On the ground, the most used player was Nick Chubb, who ran 13 times for 60 yards. In total, the ground game managed 27 attempts for 114 yards.

Why Bet on Buccaneers?

Just like their rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also won their division, the NFC South, although it’s fair to say they didn’t face much competition there, finishing with a 10-7 record while the rest of their division rivals had losing records. In the postseason, they lost their Wild Card matchup against the Washington Commanders on the final play.

This year, they started strong with a road win against one of their direct rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. It finished 20-23 thanks to a great game from Baker Mayfield, who completed 17 of 32 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Two of those touchdowns were scored by rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who needed just four receptions to achieve that. Egbuka, who came from Ohio State, was the team’s first-round pick in this year’s Draft, and he’s already starting to show why they made that choice. The other touchdown came from second-year running back Bucky Irving.

On defense, outside linebacker Haason Reddick, who arrived from the New York Jets, was the only player to record a sack.

Final Betting Analysis: Texans vs. Buccaneers

Two teams are vying for the top spot in their divisions and aiming for a place in the postseason. The Texans are playing at home, but they displayed a lackluster performance in their opener, both as a team and from their quarterback. For this reason, we believe the Buccaneers will secure the victory.

The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have the Texans as the favorite, with their Moneyline at -150, while the Buccaneers are at +125.

The last time they faced off was on November 5, 2023, in this same stadium, with the Texans winning 39-37. In NFL regular-season play, Houston has taken the last five meetings. The last time the Buccaneers won was in 2003.

Go for a win for the Buccaneers. If you bet $100 at +125, you will gain $125 for a total payout of $225.

Texans vs. Buccaneers Betting Pick: Buccaneers