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Saints Listed as 5.5-Point Favorites vs Buccaneers in Opening Week 1 Line

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Mar 9, 2021 · 4:40 PM PST

Tom Brady Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Atlanta. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 31-27. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to see their 2020 NFL schedule open with a Week 1 visit to New Orleans
  • The Bucs have lost SU and ATS in three straight meetings with the Saints
  • But TB is well positioned to maintain momentum in the Week 1 betting lines

As the countdown continues towards the release of the official 2020 NFL schedule on Thursday night, reports are indicating that Week 1 will feature a crucial NFC South matchup with the New Orleans Saints hosting the retooled Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 13.

Sportsbooks have already opened lines for the game, which sees the Saints sitting as 5.5-point favorites in the NFL odds.

Week 1 – Buccaneers vs Saints Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5.5 (-110) +190 n/a
New Orleans Saints -5.5 (-110) -230 n/a

Odds taken 05/07/20.

Brady’s Arrival Raises the Stakes

Among the most highly anticipated clashes of the season, the two meetings between the Saints and Bucs will have added significance after Tampa Bay stole headlines during the offseason, first by signing free-agent quarterback Tom Brady, and then by dealing for Brady’s favorite target, tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Those moves, along with the selection of offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs with the 13th-overall pick in the draft, have lifted the hopes of long-suffering Tampa Bay fans, who have watched the Buccaneers miss the NFL playoffs in each of the past 12 seasons.

While the Bucs have lost SU and ATS in each of their past three meetings with the Saints, including a 31-24 defeat at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as 3-point underdogs last season, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their chances in their first 2020 date with the Saints.

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Bucs Regularly Rise to the Occasion in the Big Easy

The Buccaneers have regularly risen to the occasion in recent years when visiting the Big Easy. In addition to a pair of stunning upset victories as lengthy underdogs over their past five road dates with the Saints, the Bucs are also 7-3 ATS in their past 10 games at the Superdome when getting five points or more.

While such trends are a confidence builder for both the Bucs and their fans, more important will be how well Brady has adjusted to his new home and teammates.

The six-time Super Bowl champion will have no shortage of targets to choose from this season. In addition to Gronkowski, the Buccaneers’ downfield features the duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who combined to rack up 2,490 receiving yards and 17 TD catches last season.

Evans and Godwin were key to quarterback Jameis Winston finishing last season as the NFL’s passing yards leader. However, the duo has enjoyed limited success against the Saints. Godwin piled up 125 yards and a pair of scoring catches in Tampa Bay’s lone visit to New Orleans last season after compiling just 50 total yards in two previous visits.

Evans has recorded just three TD receptions in 11 career games against the Saints.

Saints’ Savage Defensive Line Awaits

The Saints defensive line was savage against the pass in last year’s home date with Tampa Bay, limiting Winston to just 204 yards while sacking him six times. New Orleans was among the league leaders with 51 total sacks last season. That could make life difficult for Brady, who will be 43-years-old when he makes his Bucs debut.

Never particularly heralded for his mobility, Brady was sacked 27 times during an injury-plagued campaign in 2019, including 17 sacks over the final nine regular-season games.

With that in mind, the Buccaneers have invested both draft capital and salary into their offensive line in an effort to protect their investment in Brady. In addition to adding Wirfs, the team has locked up veterans Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet with big contracts.

Bucs Likely to Ride High Expectations Into Week 1

It remains to be seen whether a star-laden receiving corps and high-paid offensive line will be enough for the Buccaneers to live up to the lefty expectations that have lifted them to a strong +1100 average bet in the Super Bowl 55 odds.

However, it should be enough to give them momentum in the NFL odds in the weeks leading up to the 2020 NFL season. As a result, look for the spread to tilt in Tampa Bay’s favor.

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