Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Picks and Prediction for Friday August 28, 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars wrap up their 2026 preseason schedules on Friday night at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, with the Buccaneers looking to complete a perfect preseason while Jacksonville tries to finish August on a positive note. Tampa Bay enters the finale 2-0, while Jacksonville is 1-1 following a 34-17 loss to Carolina. Get ready for the NFL action with our free NFL Picks.

This matchup also carries some additional intrigue because the teams are holding joint practices ahead of Friday's game. For handicapping purposes, that's worth considering: coaches can get valuable competitive reps during the week and then become more conservative with established players in the actual preseason game. Tampa Bay's performance through two games gives it the stronger résumé entering the finale, while Jacksonville's depth was exposed against Carolina after the Jaguars rested their starters.

Buccaneers Have Built Momentum This Preseason

Tampa Bay enters Jacksonville attempting to finish the preseason 3-0, and the Buccaneers have shown encouraging depth throughout August. Their second preseason game against Kansas City was particularly useful from a handicapping standpoint because Tampa Bay had to manufacture offense after being held scoreless during the first half.

One of the biggest developments was the play of Jalon Daniels, who provided Tampa Bay with a second-half spark against Kansas City. Daniels' ability to create offense gives the Buccaneers an interesting weapon for a game that could largely be decided by backup and fringe-roster personnel. Tampa Bay also has Jake Browning in its quarterback room, giving the Buccaneers multiple options for handling the preseason finale.

That's an important consideration in preseason handicapping. The established starters may determine very little Friday night. Instead, quarterback depth, offensive-line depth, special teams and players competing for final roster positions could decide the game. Tampa Bay has done enough through its first two contests to suggest its lower portions of the depth chart can function effectively.

The Buccaneers are also working under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, and Baker Mayfield recently described the offense as being in a good place as Tampa Bay continues installing Robinson's system. Even when the established offense isn't on the field Friday, the additional preseason work within that system has value for the younger players trying to secure roster positions.

Jaguars Looking for More From Their Depth

Jacksonville enters the finale from the opposite direction. The Jaguars dropped their second preseason game 34-17 to the Carolina Panthers, with Jacksonville resting its starters and using the game primarily to evaluate its depth.

The final score wasn't particularly encouraging. Allowing 34 points in a preseason game raises legitimate questions about Jacksonville's defensive depth, especially considering many of the players receiving those snaps are exactly the players likely to see significant action again Friday.

However, this isn't a meaningless game from Jacksonville's perspective. Head coach Liam Coen and his staff are approaching the end of the roster-evaluation process, meaning Friday represents one of the last opportunities for bubble players to make their cases. The Jaguars have emphasized competition and earning trust as they prepare for the finale.

Jacksonville's defense has also been a focus during the final stages of training camp. The Jaguars have spoken positively about the unit's progression during practices, but the question for bettors is whether that improvement will carry over when the second- and third-team personnel take over Friday night.

That's where Tampa Bay appears to possess an advantage. Jacksonville's 34-17 loss demonstrated the volatility that can appear once the Jaguars move deep into their roster, while Tampa Bay has shown an ability to generate production from its reserve units.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Jacksonville Jaguars Picks and Prediction

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I'm taking Tampa Bay on the side. Preseason games require a different handicapping approach than regular-season contests, and Tampa Bay's 2-0 record isn't important by itself. What matters more is how the Buccaneers have performed when their reserve personnel have been responsible for extended stretches of football.

The quarterback situation particularly interests me. Daniels showed against Kansas City that he can provide a spark, while Browning gives Tampa Bay another experienced option. Jacksonville's reserve defense just surrendered 34 points to Carolina, so I see more evidence supporting Tampa Bay's depth at this stage of the preseason.

The joint practices add another wrinkle because both coaching staffs will already have received meaningful competitive work before Friday. That could reduce the importance of established starters even further and make the back half of the depth chart decisive.

Take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pick: Over

The Over is my total pick. Jacksonville's 34-17 loss to Carolina produced 51 combined points, and the Jaguars showed enough vulnerability defensively to make another relatively productive offensive night plausible. Tampa Bay's reserve quarterback situation also gives the Buccaneers a better chance of maintaining offensive efficiency after the first-team personnel leave the field.

There is always volatility when betting preseason totals, but I don't want to automatically assume a finale will be low scoring simply because starters could see limited action. Jacksonville needs better performances from its depth players, while Tampa Bay has demonstrated enough reserve offense to exploit defensive mistakes. Short fields created by turnovers and special-teams mistakes could also become important once the game reaches the second half.

Take the Over.

Final Buccaneers vs Jaguars Prediction

Tampa Bay has provided the stronger evidence through the first two preseason games. The Buccaneers are 2-0, have received encouraging production from their quarterback depth and have an opportunity to complete an unbeaten preseason. Jacksonville, meanwhile, must demonstrate that the problems exposed during its 34-17 loss to Carolina won't carry into the finale.

Final Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Over.

Projected Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20.