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Buccaneers’ Super Bowl Odds Were +6600 Before Signing Tom Brady – Take a Look Back at Tampa Bay’s 2020-21 NFL Season

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Jan 26, 2021 · 6:10 AM PST

Tom Brady pumping his fists
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reacts after winning the NFC championship NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 31-26 to advance to the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in the Super Bowl 55 odds over the course of the NFL season
  • When the first Super Bowl 55 odds dropped on Feb. 3, 2020, Tampa Bay’s line was +6600
  • The Bucs became a top five contender the moment they signed Tom Brady on March 18th

One man can’t make a team, but the addition of one man made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instant Super Bowl hopefuls. The moment the Bucs announced the signing of free-agent quarterback Tom Brady on March 18th of last year, Tampa Bay became a top-five contender.

When the Super Bowl 55 future odds launched  on Feb. 3rd, bookmakers were offering +6600 odds on Tampa Bay in the opening Super Bowl odds.

The Bucs were given the same betting line to win the big game as the New York Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who’d finish 1-15, were at +5000.

Then Brady signed on the dotted line and everything changed.

Brady Brings Bang For The Buck

As speculation of six-time Super Bowl winner Brady’s move from the New England Patriots to the Buccaneers gained steam, Tampa Bay’s odds were making bold moves. By March 17th, the line was shortened to +2500.

News of Brady’s signing saw the odds dropping to +1267 on March 18th. Tampa Bay was now a top-five Super Bowl contender.

On April 23rd, with Brady convincing tight end Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement join him in Tampa, the line shortened to +900.

An Ominous Opener

The oddsmakers didn’t like what they saw from Brady and the Bucs in their season opener. Tampa Bay was blasted 34-23 by their NFC South rivals the New Orleans Saints. The immediate cause was the odds on the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl jumping from +900 to +1533.

Little did they know that fate was playing right into Brady’s hands. He’s 15-4 in Week 1 as an NFL starting QB. All four years that he’s lost the season opener, his team has gone to the Super Bowl. He did in 2003, 2014, and 2017 with the Patriots.

Bearly Breathing

Wins over the lowly Panthers, Broncos, and Chargers weren’t turning heads.

With Tampa Bay suffering an embarrassing 20-19 loss to Mitch Trubisky and the Chicago Bears, the 3-2 Bucs were now listed at +1600 to be Super Bowl champs.

Worrisome was the fact that Brady appeared to lose track of what down it was as Tampa Bay was trying to rally late in the game. In retrospect though, maybe Green Bay running back Jamaal Williams regrets making fun of Brady for this faux pas.

Packing A Punch

Finally, a signature victory for Brady and the Bucs. They crushed last year’s NFC Championship Game finalists the Packers 38-10, engineering 28 second-quarter points.

Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl betting line was back at +1160. Who knew this was a preview of coming attractions in the 2020-21 NFC Championship Game?

The Saints Go Marching On

A rematch with New Orleans in Tampa Bay was on the books for Nov. 8. The Bucs had won three in a row to improve to 6-2, their Super Bowl odds shortening to +617 in the process. Tampa Bay was a top-three contender.

The Saints smacked the Buccaneers up and down the field, walloping them 38-3. It’s the only game all season that Tampa Bay hasn’t found the end zone.

The Bucs saw their Super Bowl odds climb to +900. They were out of the top three.

A Second Half Skid

The New Orleans loss was the first of three straight home setbacks for the Buccaneers. They ended up dropping identical 27-24 decisions to the Los Angeles Rams and Chiefs in a Super Bowl 55 preview.

https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1353531230181060616?s=20

Tampa Bay was now 1-5 on the season against teams that would ultimately qualify for postseason play. The Buccaneers were 7-5 overall.

They were arriving in December with Super Bowl odds of +1400. That was their longest betting line since early October.

Strong Closing

The Buccaneers posted four straight victories to close out the regular season at 11-5. Tampa Bay was entering the playoffs as the NFC’s #5 seed.

Those four wins were against the Falcons (twice), Lions, and Vikings. No one was impressed.

At the start of the playoffs, Tampa Bay was +1100 to be Super Bowl champions.

Three For The Road

Tampa Bay opened the playoffs with a 31-23 Wild Card Weekend win at the Washington Football Team. It wasn’t a shock, considering that NFC East champ Washington finished the regular season 7-9.  The Bucs were now +800 to capture the Super Bowl.

Going into New Orleans after losing twice to the Saints and putting a 30-20 beating on them in the NFC Divisional playoffs finally got the Buccaneers turning some heads. Suddenly, they were down to a betting line of +400 to win the big game.

Then the stunner. A 31-26 win in the NFC Championship at frigid Green Bay. Tampa Bay were NFC champs and Brady was going to his 10th Super Bowl.

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Homecoming Kings?

The Bucs joined the 1985 Patriots, 2005 Steelers, 2007 Giants, and 2010 Packers as teams to win three road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl.

But here’s the rub – they’ll be the first team to play the Super Bowl at home when they take the field on Feb. 7th at Raymond James Stadium. Add another first to the incredible Brady resume.

At odds of +144, the Buccaneers remain underdogs to the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (-168) in Super Bowl 55.

Oh, those other four road warrior clubs? Three of them – the Steelers, Giants, and Packers – all won the Super Bowl. And each won while playing in NFC stadiums.

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