Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction: A tight contest with a lot of expectations ahead

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off against one another at Raymond James Stadium for their first preseason game of the NFL season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Buccaneers will take advantage of home turf

Although the Buccaneers have qualified for the postseason in each of the past three seasons, this is a new era for the franchise now that Tom Brady has returned to the Patriots permanently. That means there will be competition at quarterback in Tampa, and the two main contenders are Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Mayfield has the advantage due to the fact that he has started games in the past, but Trask was selected in the second round for a reason, and he showed signs of potential while playing for Florida, particularly as a senior when he threw 43 touchdown passes. It would be great if the Buccaneers were able to add another receiver to their roster to provide backup for the starters, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Russell Gage. On the defensive side, the battle for the nickel position is taking place between the seasoned veteran Dee Delaney and the up-and-coming rookie Josh Hayes. Through his first four seasons, Delaney has never been a starter who is relied upon regularly, and he has only made three starts overall in his career. Hayes has played both cornerback and safety in the past, and he was regarded as one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12 in the previous season.

Pittsburgh Steelers - will Steelers keep their winning run intact?

After missing the playoffs for just the sixth time in the 16 years that Mike Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers, the team should be eager for a season in which they can get back on track. The offensive line will be a crucial component for the Steelers to monitor throughout the preseason. Broderick Jones, who was selected in the first round of the draft, will almost certainly put pressure on Chukwuma Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr. Nate Herbig and Kevin Dotson are also competing for a starting role for the team. Also, are we certain that Mitch Trubisky is capable of taking Mason Rudolph's place as the backup quarterback once they have both been evaluated? On the defensive side of the ball, there is a struggle between cornerbacks Levi Wallace and Joey Porter Jr. They are vying for the opportunity to play opposite Patrick Peterson in the starting lineup. In addition, the strong safety position in the secondary is currently up for grabs between Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal. When it comes to the Steelers, the two areas that I will be focusing my attention on are the defensive backfield and the offensive line.

Expert Betting Tips

Because of how well they are coached, the Pittsburgh Steelers are always deserving of consideration while playing the part of the underdog, and this holds true even during the preseason. On the other hand, I like the combination of Mayfield and Trask at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because they are two gunslingers who will try to move the ball downfield and score. In addition to that, it is going to be a muggy night in Florida, and you would think that the Buccaneers would have gotten used to the conditions by now. The uncertainty surrounding the offensive line play of the Pittsburgh Steelers could potentially be a factor in the outcome of this game and might even result in a couple of lost fumbles. I'm going to take a chance on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing at home.