The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened up as a 14.5 point favorite at Sportsbook over the New Orleans Saints in a Week 18 contest. The Over/Under opened at 43.5. The line has dropped a point down to -13.5 while the total has held tight.
We do have some history for this matchup from back in October. The Bucs (-3.5) went down to New Orleans and destroyed the Saints, 51-27, covering the spread with just a 'little' room to spare. The total was listed at 42.5 and went high by halftime with 51 points on the board.
Looking ahead, the Saints will be limping back down to Bourbon Street with nothing to do until the OTAs start in May, while the Buccaneers stay in Florida, and with a win, would host the Vikings or Lions.
New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds Week 18
New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jan. 5, 1:00 pm ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | +13.5 (-115) | +590 | O43.5 (-110) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -13.5 (-105) | -850 | U43.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Dec. 31 at FanDuel
Saints vs Buccaneers Pick Week 18
Check Back For An Updated Pick
Some very interesting scenarios in this game that you need to know before opening your wallet. At the moment, the Bucs are sitting on top of the NFC South with a 9-7 record followed by the Falcons at 8-8.
If Tampa Bay wins, they're IN. If they lose and Atlanta wins, it's off to the golf course. Why? They would both have 9-8 records but the Falcs would go in as the South champ and No. 4 seed because they beat the Bucs in both games this season. If they both lose, Tampa goes. So, that means there will be some scoreboard watching because both teams play at the same time. Good luck to either team with the No. 4 seed because they would host the Lions or Vikings in the Wild Card round.
So you know that Tampa will be BAKING, but how long will they bake and how many croissants/TDs will Mayfield throw. To say that Baker has been on fire would be quite an understatement. You want numbers, we got numbers.
In his last three games, Mayfield has been on another planet. Against the Chargers, he was 22 of 27 (81.5%) for 288 yards with four TDs and one INT. Against the Cowboys, he was 31 of 43 (72.1%) for 303 yards with two TDs and one INT. Last week against the Panthers, he was 27 of 32 (84.4%) for 359 yards with five TDs and ZERO INTs. And if you scroll back to the first game against the Saints in October, Baker was rocking, hitting on 24 of 36 (66.7%) for 325 yards with four TDs.
And if you're thinking about taking the Mayfield prop on passing yards, check this out. You know that every player has a handful of sweet incentives built into their contracts. If Baker finishes in the Top 10 in yards per attempt he will earn an extra $500K. Baker sits at seventh entering the final week and gets to toy with the Saints secondary that is ranked 25th. Mayfield is living in the $100 million neighborhood, but we think that Mrs. Baker is gonna be very happy when the final gun sounds.
New Orleans has been racked with injuries this season, and after winning eight games in 2022 and nine last year, they'll wind up with only five Ws when they walk off the field at Raymond James Stadium. It sure looks like they have been polishing their golf clubs the last few weeks, because the results have been UGLY.
They have put a grand total of 10 points on the board in those last two games while allowing 59. Yea, FIFTY NINE!
LOVE Baker and will drop some cash on a few of his props at the appropriate time, but not sure about laying 13 and a hook until both coaches announce who will and will not play.
Saints vs Buccaneers Betting Trends
- The Saints have covered only three of the last 12 games
- The Bucs have gone OVER in 10 of the last 13 games
- The Bucs have won five of their last six straight up since the bye week
