Buccaneers Favored Over Browns
NFL analysts unanimously predict a Buccaneers victory over the struggling Cleveland Browns.
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Key Points
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Cleveland.com’s Browns beat writers offered specific score predictions: Mary Kay Cabot picked Tampa Bay 26-13, Dan Labbe chose 26-19, and Ashley Bastock predicted a 28-17 Buccaneers win.
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ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi said there was “zero” chance of a Cleveland upset and that he saw “no pathway to a Browns win,” while also declining to pick the Browns to cover the 8½-point spread.
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FanDuel listed Tampa Bay at -417 on the moneyline, while Fanatics listed Cleveland at +9.5 points with -125 odds, providing specific market prices beyond the general expectation that the Buccaneers would be favored.
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NFL.com’s five Week 2 contributors unanimously picked Tampa Bay, with projected scores ranging from Bobby Kownack’s 27-13 Buccaneers win to Gennaro Filice’s 36-9 prediction.
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This matchup would be only the second time Baker Mayfield faced Cleveland, but it would be his first against Deshaun Watson, the quarterback acquired by the Browns in the 2022 trade that ultimately ended Mayfield’s tenure in Cleveland. Mayfield’s previous meeting with the Browns came with Carolina against Jacoby Brissett because Watson did not play Cleveland’s first 11 games that season.
NFL writers unanimously picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to beat the Cleveland Browns in their Week 2 matchup on September 20, 2026. The consensus was strong across major outlets, with Cleveland.com's beat writers and NFL.com's five contributors all favoring Tampa Bay by margins ranging from 7 to 15 points.
The Browns stumbled in their opener, losing to Jacksonville 34-10, while Tampa Bay fell to Cincinnati. Betting markets reflected the lopsided outlook, with FanDuel listing the Buccaneers at -417 on the moneyline and Fanatics setting Cleveland at +9.5 points with -125 odds.
Cleveland's Defensive Collapse Fueled the Predictions
The Browns gave up 34 points to Jacksonville in Week 1, exposing serious defensive problems. ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi said there was "zero" chance Cleveland could upset Tampa Bay and saw "no pathway to a Browns win." The analyst declined to pick the Browns to even cover the 8½-point spread.
Cleveland.com's beat writers offered specific scorelines showing their confidence in Tampa Bay. Mary Kay Cabot picked 26-13, Dan Labbe chose 26-19, and Ashley Bastock predicted 28-17. All three writers agreed the Buccaneers would win comfortably.
NFL.com's Experts Predicted Decisive Buccaneers Victory
All five NFL.com contributors picking Week 2 selected Tampa Bay without exception. Bobby Kownack projected a 27-13 Buccaneers win, while Gennaro Filice predicted a blowout at 36-9. The range of scores showed confidence in the direction even if the exact margins varied.
Mayfield's Return Added Emotional Tension to the Matchup
This game marked Baker Mayfield's first matchup against Deshaun Watson, the quarterback acquired by Cleveland in a 2022 trade that ended Mayfield's tenure with the Browns. Mayfield previously faced Cleveland with Carolina, but that was against Jacoby Brissett because Watson sat out the first 11 games that season.
One contrarian prediction came from a Browns analyst who saw an upset path. This writer argued Mayfield's emotional return could backfire on him and that Cleveland had enough talent to rebound from its Week 1 disaster. The prediction called for a 21-20 Cleveland victory, bucking the unanimous expert consensus.
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