Bucs vs. Steelers Betting: Will Tampa Bay dominate a dinged-up defense in Pittsburgh?

After three consecutive home games, the Tampa Bay Bucs are back on the road in Week 6 of the NFL season as they visit the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers.

After suffering back-to-back losses to the Packers and Chiefs, the Bucs got back into the win column last Sunday with a 21-15 win over the Falcons.

Tampa Bay led 21-0 a little over midway through the third quarter but needed to hold on at the end–and did, thanks in part to a potentially fortunate roughing the passer call–after the Falcons scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

The Steelers would love any sort of win right about now, as they go into this game with four consecutive losses since starting the season with a win in Cincinnati.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2, 2-0 away, 1st in the NFC South) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4, 0-2 home, 4th in the AFC North)
• Venue & Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Date: Sunday, October 16, 2022
• Game Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Bucs vs. Steelers: FOX

Bucs vs. Steelers Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

• Tampa Bay Bucs -10 (-105)
• Pittsburgh Steelers +10 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 45.5 (-110)
• Under 45.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Tampa Bay Bucs -450
• Pittsburgh Steelers +350

Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction and Betting Picks

Bucs vs. Steelers Prediction: Tampa Bay to win

Bucs vs. Steelers Picks: Tampa Bay to cover (Best Value: -10 @ -105 at BetOnline), Tampa Bay team total over (Best Value: over 27.5 @ -108 at BetOnline & BetUS) & Pittsburgh team total under (Best Value: under 17.5 @ -110 at Bovada Sportsbook)

This is an opportunity for the Bucs to flex their muscles a bit after being pretty underwhelming in the first five weeks of the season.

Defensively, Tampa Bay’s only really rough performance was against the Chiefs in Week 4, when they gave up 41 points and 417 yards in 10-point loss to Kansas City.

When they have given up more than 15 points only once thus far, there aren’t a lot of complaints about what they are doing defensively, really. Against an offense that is struggling to generate a whole lot of success, the Bucs should be pretty stingy with the points allowed once again.

Offensively, the loss against the Chiefs is the only time that the Bucs have managed to score more than 21 points. I don’t envision these results continuing all season long, but it is quite a strange sight.

In Tom Brady’s first two seasons in Tampa, the Bucs were held to 21 points or fewer just five times in 39 games (regular season and postseason). So, even just one more time this season will match that number.

Fortunately, that one more time is unlikely to occur in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are dealing with a rash of injuries on defense, most notably in the secondary.

Star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will be out, and cornerbacks Cameron Sutton, Levi Wallace, and Ahkello Witherspoon will all miss the game as well.

With Pittsburgh’s defense in such a sad state, look for Brady to carve up a cobbled-together unit and for the Bucs to have a dominant Sunday in the Steel City.