The Cincinnati Bengals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with kickoff set for 1:00 PM EDT at Paycor Stadium. Simulation site Dimers has the Bengals as slight favorites, projecting a 27-23 Cincinnati win and giving the Bengals a 52.6% win probability against 47.4% for Tampa Bay, with the spread sitting at Bengals -3.5.
Chase and Higgins trending toward Week 1
Cincinnati enters game week about as healthy as it could have hoped for. The two injuries the team had been monitoring both involve its star receiving duo: Tee Higgins has been dealing with a heel contusion, while Ja’Marr Chase hyperextended his knee in practice on August 25. Both players returned to practice on Monday, putting them on track to play Sunday barring any setback. Chase said afterward that he felt well enough to have practiced or even played in a game the day after the injury occurred.
Defensive end Shemar Stewart also returned to the field Monday after dealing with his own knee injury last week. Head coach Zac Taylor said all three looked good at practice, though the team won’t issue official injury designations until Wednesday.
The Bengals are looking for a fast start to the season, and having Chase, Higgins, and Stewart all available against Tampa Bay would be a meaningful step in that direction.
Game details
- Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
- Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
- Time: 1:00 PM EDT
- Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Competition: NFL Week 1
Odds and win probability (Dimers)
TeamWin %Spread PriceCincinnati Bengals52.6%51¢ (Bengals -3.5)Tampa Bay Buccaneers47.4%50¢
Predicted score: Buccaneers 23, Bengals 27
Anytime touchdown probabilities
BuccaneersProbabilityBengalsProbabilityBucky Irving37.7%Ja’Marr Chase50.5%Emeka Egbuka32.1%Chase Brown49.4%Kenny Gainwell28.3%Tee Higgins43.3%Chris Godwin25.7%Andrei Iosivas20.6%Jalen McMillan24.8%Samaje Perine19.4%
Chase’s 50.5% anytime-touchdown probability and Higgins’ 43.3% mark are among the highest on the board for either team — both projections that assume the pair clears Wednesday’s injury report without issue.
Projected passing
Starting QBProj. YardsBaker Mayfield (TB)237Joe Burrow (CIN)275
NFL Prediction market sign-up bonuses
Bengals and Buccaneers fans across the US can use prediction markets to trade on the NFL opener as an alternative to standard betting. Here are the top options and available promo codes for new users:
PlatformNFL Eligible?September Sign-Up BonusVerified Promo CodesPolymarketYes$50CUSE, MASS, OREGON, SILIVEKalshiYes$25SYRACUSE, OREGONLIVE1, MASSLIVE1, SILIVE
The bottom line
With Chase and Higgins both trending in the right direction and Cincinnati favored at home, the Bengals enter their opener in solid shape on paper. Wednesday’s official injury report will be the next checkpoint before the two teams meet Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
These predictions and probabilities are based on simulations and pricing available at the time of publication and are subject to change as official injury designations are released.
Win probabilities and pricing reflect simulation and market data at the time of writing and are subject to change. All times listed are EDT.
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