Game 2 of the preseason in the NFL continues with some interesting matchups on Saturday, August 20, and here you can take a look at the best Buccaneers vs. Titans betting pick and odds.

Tampa Bay and Tennessee will both try to secure the first win of the preseason when they face at Nissan Stadium, and the Titans are -2.5 favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at 38.5 points. These inter-conference rivals have met a year ago in the preseason and the Titans won that game 34-3 in Tampa.

Bucs to play without Brady

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without their star quarterback Tom Brady on Saturday. Brady left the camp last week and took a 10-day break for personal reasons, which means that his deputies Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert will play under the center.

Trask had 25 completions for 258 yards with a touchdown and interception in a 26-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the preseason. Tampa Bay collected 314 yards through the air despite playing without their best receivers, so we can expect to see another solid passing display from the Buccaneers in this one.

Byron Leftwich will be responsible for offensive calls this season and we already saw a strong offense from Tampa Bay in the opener, so even without Brady on Saturday, the visitors should be fine on offense. Their defense could do better, though, and if Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Logan Hall get some playing time against Tennessee, that D will definitely improve.

Titans to cut roster after the game

The Tennessee Titans trimmed their roster from 90 to 85 on Tuesday, and following this game against Tampa Bay, that number will go down to 80. That said, a lot of players will be motivated to show their worth to head coach Mike Vrabel as it will be a make-it-or-break-it for some.

The Titans suffered a 23-10 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens last week after having a 10-7 lead in the second quarter. Their offense was out of sync for the most part of the tilt, and some reports are saying that Tennessee’s wide receivers experienced a tough time in training sessions, particularly in one-on-one situations.

Malik Willis, who scored the Titans’ lone touchdown in the loss to the Ravens, will likely get a starting nod against Tampa Bay. He also added 107 passing yards on just six completions, so as long he stays on the field, the Titans have a chance to compete with the Bucs.

Trends:

Tennessee:

  • 3-8 ATS in the last 11 Saturday games

Tampa Bay:

  • 7-3 ATS in the last ten games overall
  • The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five H2H meetings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans Pick  

It was an uninspiring offensive performance from the Titans in Week 1 of the preseason, and I expect them to bounce back here. However, I don’t think they will drastically improve, especially if Vrabel decides to take Malik Willis off the field early. It looks like Willis has what it takes to lead the offense but it seems that Vrabel is a bit impatient with the rookie quarterback. On the other hand, the Bucs played well on offense without Brady and will continue to do so on Saturday. I am backing them to cover in what should be a one-possession game.

Pick: Take the Buccaneers +2.5 at -110

The Total

I said I expect to see a better display from Tennessee’s offense in this one but I don’t expect miracles. They should score more than ten points they had against Baltimore, but current issues with wide receivers will not help the hosts here. The total went Under in each of the Titan’s last five home games, while Under is 8-3 in the Buccaneers’ previous 11 games on grass. The last H2H duel produced 37 points, and I expect to see a similar outcome on Saturday but it’s not going to be a 34-3 victory for Tennessee this time around.

Pick: Go Under 38.5 points at -110