Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans Point Spread Pick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. New Orleans Saints (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS)
NFL Football Week 2
Date/Time: Sunday September 18th, 2021. 1:00PM (EST)
Where: Caesars Superdome New Orleans, LA
TV: FOX
Betting Odds:
Point Spread: TB -3/NO +3 (Bovada – 50% bonus! Rebates on ALL your bets; win or lose! The BEST live wagering platform on the planet! FAST crypto payouts!)
Total: 44
Despite trailing 26-10 last week on the road in Atlanta, the New Orleans Saints found ways to rally in a dramatic 27-26 come from behind victory. The Saints got a huge help from newly acquired WR Jarvis Landry (7 receptions, 114 yards) and the healthy return of WR Michael Thomas, who caught both 4th quarter touchdowns to spearhead the comeback. On Sunday, the Saints will look to build off last week’s momentum when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an intriguing early-season NFC South showdown inside the Caesars Superdome.
The visiting Buccaneers also kicked off their season with a victory last week in front of a Sunday night audience. While a lot of talk surrounded 45-year-old quarterback Tom Brady and some off-field drama that kept him away from practices in recent weeks, the Buccaneers’ defense stole the spotlight by shutting down the Cowboys in a 19-3 statement win. While the offense may have stalled at times, the Buccaneers still flashed promising signs. RB Leonard Fournette rumbled for 127 yards, Brady looked fairly sharp, and the Buccaneers receiving corps looked really good despite the losses of Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski over the offseason.
Ultimately, the Buccaneers passed the eye test in their opener, but I will say that the Cowboys did not do anything to really test Tampa Bay either. More importantly, I don’t believe it was the type of performance that should impress the Buccaneers’ fan base, especially after the offense had to settle for field goals on four different occasions. Obviously, I don’t think anyone would put any other team, from the NFC South, in front of the Buccaneers at this point. If people like myself do expect some regression from the Buccaneers this season, New Orleans will have the opportunity to prove that sentiment this Sunday inside the Caesars Superdome.
WR Chris Godwin sidelined with hamstring injury
Despite the offseason concerns around the health of WR Chris Godwin, I thought Godwin looked terrific in last week’s victory over the Cowboys. At least Godwin looked terrific until he came up gimpy following a long reception along the sidelines. Shortly after the victory, it was announced that Godwin pulled a hamstring and will likely miss some time. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, newly acquired WR Julio Jones looked great in the opener. Previously the most feared WR in the NFL, Jones has been riddled with injuries over the last few years but flashed signs of his former self with some big grabs in the opener. As a result, Tampa Bay will still have a healthy Mike Evans and Julio Jones when they travel to New Orleans this Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Analysis
Purely from a match-up perspective, the Saints have reason to be optimistic in this game which is evidenced by the 3-point betting spread that odds-makers have placed for this game. Against Brady and the Buccaneers’ passing attack, New Orleans made several moves over the offseason to boost the pass defense with the additions of Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu. Thrown in CB Marshon Lattimore and the Saints have the talent to challenge the Buccaneers’ passing attack. Perhaps the bigger concern for New Orleans is how they looked against the run against Atlanta, and will that lead to another big day from Bucs RB Leonard Fournette?
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For New Orleans, I was encouraged by what I witnessed offensively last week. RB Alvin Kamara could not get going, but the Saints found alternative ways to move the football. TE Taysom Hill delivered some big plays in the running game. Meanwhile, as I mentioned before, Landry and Thomas looked really good in the passing game. Going into Sunday’s showdown with Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers defense will have to worry about everything, and if QB Jameis Winston can avoid any huge setbacks, I think they have the firepower to hold the edge over the Buccaneers. Granted, I think the margins for this game are very slim, meaning a couple of big plays/turnovers could be the difference. With that said, this is the best the Saints’ have looked in a match-up against the Buccaneers in quite some time!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Predictions
I have been expecting the Buccaneers to take a step back this season, and I think this is the perfect match-up to start that regression. Barring any horrendous performance by Jameis Winston, I think the Saints can get the job done!
Jay’s Pick: New Orleans +3. Make the Saints a +22 underdog by inserting them into a massive 19 point NFL teaser found at Wagerweb Sportsbook!
