Bengals vs. Buccaneers: How to watch, game time, TV info, online stream, odds, and predictions

We are finally going to get to see the Cincinnati Bengals back in action as they play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off their 2026 season.

After a disappointing 2025 season, in which quarterback Joe Burrow missed significant time and the defense continued to struggle, it will feel good to see this version of the team get its start.

The Bengals were quite busy this offseason. They added quite a bit to the defensive line. You have players like edge rusher Boye Mafe , defensive tackle Jonathan Allen , and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence come in, and they are expected to drastically improve things. Especially Lawrence, who Cincinnati gave up the No. 10 overall pick in the draft to the New York Giants for.

On the other side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a player many Bengals fans probably would have loved to take if the Lawrence trade didn't happen. Rueben Bain Jr. had to be one of the most over-examined prospects in recent years. He dominated at Miami last season, but concerns grew about his arm length.

Which of these overhauled defensive lines can make the game-defining play?

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio at Paycor Stadium

TV Channel: WXIX-TV (Ch. 19) in Cincinnati, WRGT-TV (Ch. 45) in Dayton, and WDKY-TV (Ch. 56) in Lexington.

Broadcasters: Play-by-Play Kevin Kugler, analyst Daryl "Moose" Johnston, and sideline reporter Allison Williams

Online Stream: Fox One (any device, in market), NFL Sunday Ticket (out of market) and NFL Game Pass International (International, excluding China)

Radio Broadcast: Bengals Radio Network: Cincinnati flagship stations WCKY (1530), WEBN-FM (102.7) and WLW700. Click here to view full radio coverage. SiriusXM Ch. 193, Bengals-Buccaneers game center nationwide on desktop , in-market on official Bengals mobile app . Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Dave Lapham (analyst), and Tony Pike (analyst).

Series Leader: Tampa Bay leads the series, 7-6

Weather: According to NFL Weather , the game will be in the mid-80s with cloudy skies and a chance of thunderstorms

Odds : FanDuel Sportsbook has the Bengals favored by 3.5 points, with an over/under of 50.5 points.

ESPN : eight of 11 experts are taking Cincinnati

CBS Sports : All seven experts are going with the Bengals

Sporting News : Bengals win 34-24 covering the spread

Cincy Jungle: We aren't going to start the season by predicting a loss in Week 1. There is optimism pouring from this team and for good reason. The high-powered offense is intact, and the defense has been peppered with veterans at positions of issue from last year (except linebacker). Maybe that will bite them in the butt, but it feels like we are all sipping the Kool-Aid waiting to bust out the Sexy Dexy dance.