Do the Saints remain the Bucs’ fearful opponents?

The Saints and Buccaneers have had some memorable duels in recent years. Last year alone, there was Tom Brady’s debut in a Bucs jersey, an incredible Tampa beatdown and a thrilling Divisional Playoff Game to marvel at.

While in the regular season the Saints were the Bucs’ fearsome opponents, they turned the tables in the postseason. Still, New Orleans is not to be underestimated without Drew Brees and is always capable of giving the champions a leg up.

While their offence is only clicking in every other game this season, their defence is bombproof. For example, they allowed only three points against the Packers and only ten on Monday against the Seahawks.

That’s why our prediction for Saints vs. Buccaneers is a game on a knife edge that could be decided by a mistake or a big play. Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is predestined for both options.

Kickoff of the game is Sunday at 9:25 p.m. in New Orleans and the game will be broadcast live by ProSieben Maxx and DAZN.

New Orleans Saints – Statistics & current form

The Saints have been difficult to pick up this season, playing mostly under the radar of the experts as well and not considered the big Super Bowl favourites. Why is that, really? With this squad, they should be able to give any team problems.

The defence is top 3 in the league, with Alvin Kamara they have one of the top running backs on the field and with Sean Payton they have a very experienced head coach on the sidelines. So the answer to the question is probably only Jameis Winston.

Winston remains a surprise package

Although Winston is ahead of the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson this year with an average passer rating of 102.4, he simply isn’t trusted to consistently pull off a season. His 30 interception season in 2019 probably still sits too deep with many.

Still, a Justin Herbert is being hyped up even though he’s just under five points worse in rating and has already thrown one more interception, and a Winston still has to prove himself all over again.

Saints the dark horse this season

So we absolutely do not see the Saints without a chance in the fight for the Super Bowl, even if they first have to qualify for the playoffs to do so. With a 4-2 record, they are still behind the Bucs, which is why Sunday’s game is doubly important for them.

They should be able to rely on their defence again. We expect them to be able to put their stamp on the game and see a bet on New Orleans +5.5 as the top option for Saints vs. Bucs. It is unlikely that they will lose the game by a large margin in what is expected to be a low-scoring game.

Key Players:
QB: Jameis Winston
RB: Alvin Kamara
WR: Marquez Callaway
TE: Adam Trautman
K: Aldrick Rosas

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Statistics & current form

The Buccaneers have alternated close games with clear victories this season. Against the Bears on Sunday, another blowout win was in the offing, just like before against the Dolphins or the Falcons.

However, the names of the opponents already show that these only ever came against weak teams, against the top teams from Dallas, New England or LA it was either damn close or they even lost (24:34 at the Rams).

Buccaneers weak away from home

This season, Brady and Co. are having a hard time on foreign fields. The loss at the Rams was followed by unconvincing victories in New England and Philadelphia, both by only one score.

That’s why we don’t expect them to be clearly ahead in the end in New Orleans either. Thus, the odds on Saints +5.5 for New Orleans against Tampa are considered extremely promising. Even pure win bets on the Saints are possible with terrific value at a small stake.

Low scoring game expected

With the Saints defence being excellent this season, allowing an average of just 16.8 points and the Bucs defence also averaging in the top 10 with 21.0 points, the projected 50.5 total points is clearly too high.

While we trust the Saints to score over 22 points, we don’t trust the Bucs to score over 27, a number New Orleans hasn’t allowed at all this season. Brady and Co. will probably have to settle for well under 30 points of their own on Sunday, too.

Key Players:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Ronald Jones
WR: Mike Evans
WR: Antonio Brown
K: Ryan Succop

New Orleans Saints – Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The Saints own the Bucs in recent years, as Aaron Rodgers might have put it. Especially in the regular season, New Orleans clearly holds the trump card and they have won the last five meetings there.

In the playoffs, we would clearly sign the favourite status per Bucs, but in a normal season game, the game is completely open for us. It will depend purely on the form of the day. A surprise win for the Saints is not out of the question.

However, we don’t have to reach that high for bets, as there are already good odds for Saints +5.5 and the Bucs have never been able to triumph away from home with more than a one-score lead this season.

New Orleans Saints – Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tip

Yes, the Bucs are the reigning champs and just blew out the Bears. But the Saints are just not the Bears and will play defensively as well. With the Saints defence even ranked in the top 3 in the league, Brady and his colleagues will have a tough time.

We expect a low scoring game, which will also keep the margin of victory from skyrocketing to astronomical heights. A close game is very likely, which is why a tip on New Orleans +5.5 is our favoured betting option for Saints vs Bucs.

Sub-points are therefore also available as a betting alternative. The Saints are allowing an average of 16.8 points, while the Bucs are allowing 21.0, for a combined total of 37.8, which already makes the bookies’ 50.5 seem like a lot. Nevertheless, for the New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, the forecast on a handicap win for the home team at betting odds of around 1.90 remains our preferred choice.