Is it seriously that easy to win a Super Bowl these days? All the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to do was sign Tom Brady to a two-year contract to pull off the feat. The rest as they say was history after the team went on a furious playoff run on the road to punch a ticket to LV where it would go on to dominate the Kansas City Chiefs and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Raymond James Stadium for the first time since 2002. NFL win total bettors got to laugh all the way to the bank when Tampa Bay went on to win 11 regular season games to smash their impost regardless of all the chalk online sportsbooks forced over backers to lay leading up to Week 1. This time around, linemakers have the Bucs lined with the second highest win total on the board behind only the Chiefs. It’s also the odds on favorite to capture back-to-back NFC crowns and the runaway chalk to put an end to its 13-year drought of failing to win the NFC South. While the defending champ deserves all the respect in the world after pulling it off last season, I’ve got some major reservations entering the year and lean to the under because of them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Win Total: 11.5 Over -148
Though the Bucs enter the regular season the reigning champs, they only won 11 games and failed to even win the division. That honor went to the Saints who pulled the feat off for the fourth consecutive season. While New Orleans has issues of its own in its attempt to replace Drew Brees and a number of standouts on arguably the best defense in the division, you can bet your bottom dollar Sean Payton and his crew won’t just roll over and die; especially after taking both regular season meetings and seeing their run come to an end in the division round. I also have high hopes for the Carolina Panthers and expect them to be vastly improved in the second year of the Matt Rhule regime. Having “RUN CMC” back also doesn’t suck! And who knows, maybe the Falcons find a way to split against the Bucs after getting swept last season with a new coaching staff. Bottom line, the NFC South could prove to be one of the more competitive divisions in the league even though none of Tampa’s opponents own a win total higher than nine.
NFL Regular Season Wins Odds at BookMaker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football Schedule
Week 1: Cowboys at Buccaneers, Thursday, September 9, 7:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Week 2: Falcons at Buccaneers, Sunday, September 19, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 3: Buccaneers at Rams, Sunday, September 26, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 4: Buccaneers at Patriots, Sunday, October 3, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Week 5: Dolphins at Buccaneers, Sunday, October 10, 1 p.m. ET
Week 6: Buccaneers at Eagles, Thursday, October 14, 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Week 7: Bears at Buccaneers, Sunday, October 24, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 8: Buccaneers at Saints, Sunday, October 31, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 9: Bye Week
Week 10: Buccaneers at Washington, Sunday, November 14, 1 p.m. ET
Week 11: Giants at Buccaneers, Monday, November 22, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Week 12: Buccaneers at Colts, Sunday, November 28, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Buccaneers at Falcons, Sunday, December 5, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: Bills at Buccaneers, Sunday, December 12, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 15: Saints at Buccaneers, Sunday, December 19, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Week 16: Buccaneers at Panthers, Sunday, December 26, 1 p.m. ET
Week 17: Buccaneers at Jets, Sunday, January 2, 1 p.m. ET
Week 18: Panthers at Buccaneers, Sunday, January 9, 1 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win Total Analysis
How on god’s green earth do the defending Super Bowl champs earn the fifth easiest schedule strength heading into the regular season? At least that’s what the folks over at Sharp Football Stats are telling us. Still, the NFC East won’t be fun to run up against with the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles all potentially trotting top-12 ranked offenses onto the gridiron. Brady will also be forced to evade a more experienced Football Team defense that will undoubtedly be looking to make amends for the effort put forth in last year’s Wild Card run-in. Then it’s four games versus the AFC East which includes Brady’s return to Foxborough in Week 4. How astronomical will the ratings be for that Sunday Night Football tilt?! The standalone games come against the Rams and Colts on the road and the Bears at home. Both Los Angeles and Indianapolis are favored to win their respective divisions, and Chicago got the best of the Brady last season; remember when he forgot what down it was?
Listen, the Buccaneers are going to be a damn good football team this season. How could they not with all 22 starters returning and even more enforcements brought in via the draft and free agency? But are they 12-13 games good? I’m not so sure. This is an older team. Injuries happen, and that’s something that always must be kept in the back of your head whenever investing on the high side of inflated win totals. The Bucs closed 9.5 last season. The year before that it was 6.5. The insertion of Brady under center is a five-game improvement per linemakers. Sorry, but I’m not buying it. I think their schedule is tougher than it looks simply going by preseason win totals of the opposition. On top of that, fans will be in the stands this year and that’s something the Bucs didn’t have to deal with en route to winning three on the road before sealing the deal against the Chiefs. Will the fire still be there this time around? I’m betting it won’t and will put my money where my mouth is by hitting the under at a nice plus-money return.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Win Total Prediction: Under 11.5
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