New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview:
The 9-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints with the NFC South crown on the line. If the Buccaneers win this weekend, they will win the NFC South and be either the #4 or #3 seed in the NFC. If the Los Angeles Rams win this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, the Buccaneers will be the #4 seed. If the Rams lose, the Buccaneers will be the #3 seed.
The #4 seed will host either the Minnesota Vikings or the Detroit Lions, while the #3 seed will host the Green Bay Packers or the Washington Commanders.
It’s been a strong close to the year for the Buccaneers. They have won five of their last six games. They are scoring 32.7 points per game in that stretch, with their lone loss coming against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Buccaneers will be playing against a 5-11 Saints team that will likely be without Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, and Kendre Miller.
As a 14-point favorite, the Buccaneers should feel confident about their chances to win and make the postseason.
However, the bigger story of this weekend’s game comes from Mike Evans chasing history. Evans needs 85 receiving yards to reach 1,000 yards on the season. That would extend his streak to 11 straight seasons with 1,000 yards, tying Jerry Rice for the most consecutive seasons of 1000 yards.
Listen to the Bet the Edge podcast as hosts Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick provide listeners with sharp actionable insight, market analysis and statistical data to help bettors gain more information before placing their wagers. So, whether you’re targeting spreads and totals, looking for value in futures markets or circling player props, give their podcast a listen to give you that extra edge.
How to Watch New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Live on Sunday:
- Date: Sunday, January 5th
- Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Site: Raymond James Stadium
- City: Tampa, FL
- TV/Streaming: FOX
Latest Game Odds for Saints at Buccaneers – Week 18:
The latest odds as of Tuesday morning courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1000), New Orleans Saints (+600)
- Spread: Buccaneers -3.55
- Total: 43.5
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets:
NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is leaning towards the over on Mike Evans receiving yards at 93.5…
Thomas: “It’s clear Mike Evans needs 85 yards to reach 1,000 yards. However, this isn’t just a check the box for the Buccaneers. Evans is the most important receiver on the team. He’s averaging 14.11 yards per catch and has catches over 25 yards in every game since the middle of October.”
Saints at Buccaneers Team Stats, Betting Trends:
- Tampa Bay is 10-6 against the spread
- New Orleans is 6-10 against the spread
- Tampa Bay is 11-5 to the OVER
- New Orleans is 7-9 to the OVER
Quarterback Matchup for Saints at Buccaneers:
- Saints: Derek Carr – Carr will likely be out for this game. He’s thrown for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
- Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield – Mayfield has been outstanding. Despite having monster numbers and throwing 39 touchdowns this season, he was not named to the Pro Bowl team.
Player News & Injuries:
Saints:
- LB Pete Werner (head) is questionable
- TE Juwan Johnson (knee) is questionable
- WR Marquez Valdez-Scantling (ches) is questionable
- RB Kendre Miller (head) is questionable
- QB Derek Carr (hand) is questionable
- RB Alvin Kamara (groin) is questionable
- WR Chris Olave 9head) is on the IR
Buccaneers:
- CB Jamel Dean (knee) is questionable
- S Antoine Winfield Jr (knee) is questionable
- OT Tristian Wirfs (foot) is questionable
- DE William Gholston (knee) is questionable
- WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) is questionable
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest and tools for the NFL, including game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
