The Week 2 of the NFL continues on Sunday, September 18 with this mouthwatering NFC South rivalry clash, and we’re giving you the best Buccaneers vs. Saints betting pick and odds.

Tampa Bay and New Orleans will enter Week 2 with 1-0 records when they face at Caesars Superdome. The Buccaneers are -2.5 favorites on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the total is set at 44 points. These NFC South foes have met twice last year, and the Saints won both duels.

Bucs beat the Cowboys with ease

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an easy job in Week 1 on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. Although the strong Dallas defense limited them to only one touchdown, the Bucs scored 19 points and played well on defense to secure a 19-3 victory and covered a -2.5 spread. Tampa Bay totaled 347 yards opposite Dallas’ 244, while the Buccaneers were also better in first downs (18-12).

Tom Brady, who came out of retirement to play another “last” season in the NFL, didn’t shine in Dallas. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was evident that a new-looking offensive line is not providing enough protection, but on the other hand, Tampa’s run offense was great. Leonard Fournette rushed for 127 yards on 21 carries. Mike Evans and Julio Jones proved to be Brady’s favorite targets in this win (12 combined). Devin White led the team in total tackles with eight, while he also added a couple of sacks.

Wideout Chris Godwin suffered a hamstring strain during the last game, and he could be sidelined for a few weeks. Center Ryan Jensen is out indefinitely with a knee injury; tackle Donovan Smith suffered an elbow injury and is questionable to play on Sunday, while guard Nick Leverett is questionable with an AC joint injury.

Saints won a thriller in Atlanta

The New Orleans Saints opened a new NFL season in a dramatic fashion against the Atlanta Falcons on the road. New Orleans trailed 26-10 early in the fourth quarter, but came from behind and snatched a 27-26 victory after Will Lutz converted a field goal attempt with 19 seconds to go. They failed to cover a -5.5 spread but took a W with a smile on their faces as Atlanta was better in total yards (416-385) and first downs (26-18).

Jameis Winston was solid with 23 completions on 34 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his TD passes went to Michael Thomas, while Jarvis Landry accumulated 114 yards on seven catches. Taysom Hill was excellent on the ground; he collected 81 yards with a score on just four carries. On defense, linebacker Pete Werner dominated with 13 total tackles (12 solos).

RB Alvin Kamara is dealing with a rib injury, and it is unclear if he will suit up against the Buccaneers on Sunday. WR Tre’quan Smith missed the game in Atlanta due to a groin injury, and it is uncertain if he will feature on Sunday.

Trends:

Tampa Bay:

  • 2-7 ATS in the last nine games following a straight-up win of more than 14 points
  • 2-7 ATS in the last nine games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game

New Orleans:

  • 8-2 ATS in the last ten games following an ATS loss
  • 11-5 ATS in the last 16 vs. NFC South rivals

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Pick  

Tom Brady is 0-4 SU in four regular-season duels against New Orleans since joining Tampa Bay. He registered six TD passes and eight interceptions in that stretch. Also, the Saints were better in seven of the previous eight H2H encounters, so it’s clear that this matchup is not Tampa’s favorite. New Orleans didn’t record a single sack against Atlanta, but I am backing Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport to slice Tampa’s O-Line to pieces and get to Brady at least once or twice. I am backing the hosts because of home-field advantage and a better H2H record in recent years. The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four H2H meetings.

Pick: Take the Saints at +3.5 (-120)

The Total

Brady has fantastic players at his disposal on offense and you never know which one is going to hurt you. Still, because of a weak O-Line, he doesn’t have plenty of time to pick his receiver, so that could be a problem for Tom on Sunday. I think the Saints D is going to exploit this and force Brady to commit some turnovers. The Bucs scored 19 points in Dallas, and I don’t think they will have more than 20 here. Under is 7-2 in the Buccaneers’ last nine vs. NFC opponents; Under is 4-0 in the Saints’ previous four games following an ATS loss, while Under is 4-0 in New Orleans’ last four home games.

Pick: Go Under 44.5 points (-120)