Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Week 2 of the NFL season will resume on Sunday afternoon with a heavyweight NFC South tilt between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. Coverage begins from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.

Updated on 04/25/2024

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BETTING PREDICTION

New Orleans stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start with new head coach Dennis Allen at helm, as the Saints entered the fourth quarter of their season-opener against Atlanta trailing the Falcons 24-10, which was a matchup they were a 5.5-point favorite in. The Saints ultimately came back and won their Week 1 matchup against Atlanta 27-26, however, half-baked performances against NFC contenders like the Buccaneers typically result in lopsided losses.

Tampa Bay didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in Week 1, as the Buccaneers scored just 19 PTS on 347 total yards in their season-opening win against Dallas. However, the Bucs were still in full-control of last week’s contest from the opening kickoff to the final snap, as Tampa Bay’s defense smothered Dak Prescott and co. to just three points on 244 total yards, resulting in a comfortable 16-point victory for the Bucs (W, 19-3).

I’ll back Tampa Bay here, as New Orleans ended up rallying from behind to knock off Atlanta in Week 1, however, several question marks already surrounded the Saints heading into the season, and the fact they had to mount a 14-point fourth quarter comeback against an NFC bottom-dweller like Atlanta gives me very little confidence in them heading into a Week 2 matchup against Tom Brady and the Bucs.

Score Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Saints 20
Best Bet: Buccaneers -2.5 (-110)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BETTING ODDS

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022
Matchup: NFC South
Venue: Caesars Superdome
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Time-TV: FOX, 1:00 p.m. ET

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Buccaneers won the NFC South with a record of 13-4 last season, which marks the first time Tampa Bay has been crowned division champs since 2007 under head coach Jon Gruden and QB Jeff Garcia, trailing only the Packers for the top seed in the conference.

However, both squads’ postseason journeys came to a screeching halt in the Divisional Round, as the Packers dropped a stunner to San Francisco at Lambeau Field (L, 13-10); while the Bucs fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Rams (L, 30-27), who went on to host the NFC Championship Game and eventually win the Super Bowl.

The Bucs may have fell short in the playoffs last year, but make no mistake, this is still one of top squads in the NFC, and they deservedly boast the second-best title odds after finishing top seven in scoring points on both sides of the ball last season (29.9 OPPG, 20.9 DPPG); and ultimately, came up just three points shy of knocking off the Super Bowl Champs in the Divisional Round.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Saints finished second in the NFC South with a record of 9-8 last season, which tied the Eagles for the third Wild Card spot in NFC, however, an ugly loss to Philly in Week 11 ultimately determined which of the two squads earned the edge in the final standings.

The Saints got off to a hot start with Jameis Winston under center last season, as New Orleans opened with a solid 5-2 run that included tough victories over the Packers, Patriots, and Buccaneers. However, Winston suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, and the Saints went 4-6 the rest of the way.

New Orleans has a long journey ahead following the relatively recent retirements of head coach Sean Payton and QB Drew Brees, however, the Saints’ defense still ranked fourth in scoring and sixth in total yardage last season (19.7 PPG, 318 YPG), which should always keep them within playoff contention barring any significant injuries.

MIAMI DOLPHINS vs. BALTIMORE RAVENS BETTING TRENDS

• The Bucs are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games.
• The Saints are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
• The Bucs are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games against New Orleans.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of New Orleans' last eight games.
• The Bucs are 5-0 SU in their last five road games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of New Orleans' last five home games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of the last five matchups between the Bucs and Saints in New Orleans.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson