Well, the Jameis Winston era got off to a rocky start in Tampa Bay’s thumping at the hands of the Titans last week. The No. 1 overall pick threw a touchdown pass on his first throw – to the wrong team – and struggled with his accuracy. He’ll get a chance to inflate his numbers against a New Orleans defense that was shredded by the Cardinals when the NFC South teams meet in the Big Easy on Sunday.
ODDS
New Orleans opened as a 10.5-point favorite and settled at -10. The total surfaced at 48.5 and was sliced a point to 47.5. The Saints ended last season going 0-5 SU and ATS at home and failed to cover as 11-point chalk against the Bucs in the Superdome, winning the game in overtime. The Saints are a good over play at home, going 5-2 in their last seven and there are points out there.
KEY INJURIES
Mike Evans – Tampa Bay’s top receiver from last season was inactive with a sore hamstring and is questionable for Sunday. Louis Murphy started in his place last week and didn’t have a catch on three targets.
Rafael Bush – Starting at safety in place of injured Jairus Byrd, he left with a torn pectoral in the third quarter and didn’t return. He’s likely out for some time, but Byrd could be on the mend to take over his starting role in the Saints’ secondary. The team re-signed Kenny Phillips to take Bush’s spot and could see plenty of action.
KEY MISMATCH
Without a doubt the Saints have the upper hand at the quarterback position in this meeting. Drew Brees dissected the Cardinals last week, throwing for 355 yards, and looked as good as ever in the pocket. The only problem, the Saints failed to finish off drives, settling for four field goals. Brees and Co. will get that ironed out against Tampa Bay’s defense that gave up four scoring passes to Marcus Mariota in the first half. The play of Winston in his debut has many wondering if the Buccaneers made the right selection on draft day. Of course it doesn’t help having the conservative play calling of head coach Lovie Smith, who seemingly handcuffed Winston last week, but that goes both ways. Until the rookie can show he’s grasped the offense, the training wheels will stay on. Winston lacked vision, was too eager to escape the pocket at any sign of trouble and desperately needed help from a supporting cast that couldn’t give it to him.
KEY STAT
427 – Total yards allowed by the Saints defense last week. Once again the concerning questions will be about the New Orleans defense, after giving up 427 yards and too many big plays. The Saints finished next to last in the NFL last season giving up 384 yards per game.
BETTING ANGLE
When the Saints were dominant from their Super Bowl winning season in 2009 until prior to last season, they were nearly unbeatable at home. New Orleans turned the Superdome into a house of horrors for opponents, racking up 34 wins in 43 games, including playoffs, over that five-year stretch. That included a 4-4 home record in 2012 when coach Sean Payton was suspended for the year. The Saints lost that magic last season, going 3-5 with losses in the final five games when they also went 0-5 ATS. The Bucs covered both games last season, including an overtime loss in the Superdome as 11-point dogs.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Saints were able to move the ball in Arizona against a good Cardinals secondary, but failed to punch it in, settling for four field goals in an eventual 31-19 loss. Brees was accurate and spread the ball around, hitting eight different receivers. He shouldn’t be met with much resistance from a Buccaneers defense that was riddled by the Titans. The Saints defense is just too risky, and even though Winston and the Bucs couldn’t solve Tennessee, they’ll likely get their opportunities and keep the game closer than the spread. The Saints will find the endzone and get a win, but with a suspect defense, double-digit points is hard to pass up.
New Orleans 31, Tampa Bay 24
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -10.5 in favor of the Saints. The NFL odds total surfaced at 48.5. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints will take place Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The contest will be broadcast regionally on FOX.
