by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026
Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Steelers -2.5, Buccaneers +2.5; Over/Under: 39.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Steelers -2.5, Buccaneers +2.5; Over/Under: 39.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Steelers -2.5, Buccaneers +2.5; Over/Under: 39.5 points
Season Record
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-2 (3rd place, AFC North)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-4 (3rd place, NFC South)
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Recent Form
Pittsburgh Steelers: won their last game at home against the Indianapolis Colts 34-22.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: won their last game on the road against the Dallas Cowboys 24-16.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview and Analysis
The Steelers are entering this game with a 3-2 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 0-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Indianapolis Colts 34-22. Aaron Rodgers was the starting QB and he completed 22/31 passes for 235 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jaylen Warren led the team in rushing yards with 101 and 1 TD. Jaylen Warren led the receivers with 87 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 1 TD. Payton Wilson led the defense in that game with 10 solo tackles while Cameron Heyward led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
The Buccaneers are entering this game with a 1-4 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-3 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Dallas Cowboys 24-16. Jalon Daniels was the starting QB and he completed 19/25 passes for 189 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Bucky Irving led the team in rushing yards with 165 and 1 TD. Tez Johnson led the receivers with 64 receiving yards on 1 reception. Jacob Parrish led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Alex Anzalone and YaYa Diaby each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Steelers vs Buccaneers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Steelers listed as a 2.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Steelers have looked good in their games this season with their 3-2 record overall which has them right in the middle of the AFC North. They haven't been a good road team though with their 0-2 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have looked terrible in their games this season with their 1-4 record overall which has them right near the bottom of the NFC South. They have looked terrible on their home field too with their 0-3 home record this season. The Buccaneers finally got their 1st win of the season against the Cowboys 24-16 and they looked good in that one, but they were also playing against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They played on Thursday so they will have some extra time to prepare for this game, but they are still going with their undrafted rookie QB who hasn't looked that great. Now they are going to face a much stronger defense here and that offense isn't going to look as good as it did against the Cowboys. The Steelers are coming off a 34-22 win over the Colts in their last one and that was a nice bounce back win after losing to the Browns in prime time. The offense has looked a lot better in their last 2 games now and the defense still has tons of talent too. The Steelers have looked like a different team in their road games this year, but this is a great opportunity for them to pick up their 1st road win with the Bucs still looking like a disaster. The best way to place a bet here is on the Steelers to cover the spread in this game.
Steelers Buccaneers Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, October 18, 2026 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Steelers 31 Buccaneers 17.
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NFL Betting Trends
Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-4 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 20-5 ATS against NFC South division opponents. 79-48 ATS in October games. 6-1 OVER after scoring 30 points or more last game. 8-4 OVER when playing against a team with a losing record.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-14 ATS in home games. 4-8 ATS in non-conference games. 1-5 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better. 8-4 OVER in non-conference games. 10-3 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record.
Key Injuries
Pittsburgh Steelers: J. Ramsey (CB) Injured - Wrist. C. Heyward (DL) Injured - NIR-Rest. T. Watt (LB) Injured - NIR-Rest. D. Elliott (S) Injured - Knee. J. Dean (CB) Injured - Ankle. B. Skowronek (WR) Injured - Calf. R. Dowdle (RB) Injured - Toe. K. Benton (DL) Injured - Ankle. R. Wilson (WR) Injured - Finger.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C. Godwin Jr. (WR) Injured - Rest. B. Mayfield (QB) Injured - Thumb. T. Wirfs (OT) Injured - Knee. A. Winfield Jr. (S) Injured - Rib. D. Sills V (WR) Injured - Hamstring. S. Dennis (LB) Injured - Ankle. S. Tucker (RB) Injured - Quad. B. Morrison (CB) Injured - Quad. A. Garnes (CB) Injured - Ankle.
Notable Quotes
“He's the man. He's hauling it right now for us.” - Mike McCarthy on Pat Freiermuth after his team’s win against the Colts in their last game.
“We lost the first quarter of the season. We didn’t lose the second, third or fourth. We’ve still got to play those. So we started the second quarter tonight. It’s a long way to climb out, but at the same time, we’re upbeat and if we played as hard and played as effective, we’ll be OK.” - Todd Bowles after his team’s win against the Cowboys in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Metcalf, DK
WR Bernard, Germie
WR Wetjen, Kaden
TE Freiermuth, Pat
QB Rodgers, Aaron
RB Warren, Jaylen
FB Nowakowski, Riley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Hurst III, Ted
WR Egbuka, Emeka
WR Godwin Jr., Chris
TE Otton, Cade
QB Daniels, Jalon
RB Irving, Bucky
Statistical Leaders
Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing: Aaron Rodgers (1,234)
Rushing: Jaylen Warren (410)
Receiving: Jaylen Warren (230)
Touchdowns: Pat Freiermuth (4)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Passing: Baker Mayfield (615)
Rushing: Bucky Irving (406)
Receiving: Emeka Egbuka (192)
Touchdowns: Bucky Irving (3)
Coaches:
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy (1st season)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
