Buccaneers at Saints: NFL Over/Under Pick Week 1
We will get to see an NFC South matchup in NFL Week 1 between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints. This is a highly anticipated matchup due to it being Tom Brady’s first game as a Buccaneer.
The Buccaneers missed the postseason last season with a 7-9 record but had a whale of an offseason, acquiring Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Leonard Fournette. The Saints, on the other hand, were able to make the playoffs with a 13-3 record but suffered another tough out. Both teams are among the favorites, according to the Super Bowl Odds, so that makes this Week 1 showdown all the more important.
The sportsbook odds list the Saints as a 3½-point favorite with the total sitting at 49. NFL betting in Week 1 can sometimes be a bit of a crapshoot, especially this year. One thing is for sure, though, the entire world of NFL fans is looking forward to this game. Brady (+1400 odds to win NFL MVP) has only played against Brees (+1800 to win MVP) three times and has a 2-1 record. To see them battle at least twice this season is going to be a real treat.
If we get really lucky, maybe we’ll see another classic ending just as we did in 2013:
Buccaneers Offense
The Buccaneers’ offense will be drastically changed compared to the Jameis Winston-led unit from last season. Led by a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, this offense was third in total points scored. However, Winston threw 30 interceptions and those turnovers crippled the team. Look for Brady to get his weapons involved early and often, and be far more careful with the ball. By recently adding Fournette to the backfield, they’ve gotten stronger.
Buccaneers Defense
The defense was the main weak spot last season, giving up 449 points. That number would rank them 29th in the league in total points allowed. It is important to note, though, that Winston would often put their defense in terrible field position with his many turnovers. This defense should be improved talent-wise and the offense won’t put them in as many bad spots.
Saints Offense
These Saints should be the same explosive unit that we have seen the past few seasons. The addition of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will make this offense more difficult to defend against this upcoming season. They will continue to be an extremely dangerous group.
Saints Defense
The defense was a middle-of-the-pack unit, finishing 13th in points allowed. The Saints have a great combination of young talent to go along with their experienced veterans. They usually don’t need to do a lot; they just need to slow opponents a bit as the offense typically scores a lot.
Over/Under Trends
The over has been trending for Buccaneers games lately, it has been 5-0 in their past five games against the NFC South and 10-1 in their last 11 against the NFC.
Saints games have also been trending over lately as it’s come through in six straight Week 1 games and 5-2 in their last seven against the NFC South.
BetUS Free Pick: Over 49
It will be interesting to see how quickly Brady is able to adjust to his new scheme and offense after so many years of continuity in New England. Remember, th Bucs have missed a lot of offseason reps due to the pandemic. The battle against another all-time great in Brees makes this matchup one of the most important ones of the week.
What could be better than two G.O.A.T.s fighting it out, anyway?
BetUS.com has this total at 49 and expects to see plenty of points. This game will be explosive and high-scoring and should go back-and-forth for 60 minutes (or more). It could well be a game where the last team to touch the ball wins.
