Saints vs Buccaneers Prediction and Odds for Week 2

The New Orleans Saints sit atop the NFC South after Week 1. The only other team at the top with them just so happens to be their Week 2 opponent -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It's no secret that the Saints have had Tampa's number since Tom Brady signed there in the 2020 offseason. The only time Brady's Bucs toppled the Saints was during the divisional round of the playoffs that same season, otherwise, it's been all New Orleans in this rivalry.

Last year's performances against Tampa Bay were very impressive, as the Saints beat them in convincing fashion both times, including a 9-0 shutout win over the Bucs on Sunday Night Football. That was one of my favorite games last year and hopefully, we see a repeat of it this time around.

Saints vs Buccaneers Odds Week 2

FanDuel has the Saints as 2.5-point underdogs to the Bucs with a moneyline of +134. The Bucs' moneyline is set at -158 and the over/under sits at 44.5 points.

Saints vs Buccaneers Prediction Week 2

New Orleans has not only managed to go 4-0 against Brady's Bucs but for whatever reason, they're able to blow the doors off of Tampa Bay whenever the two teams square off. It's also worth noting that Dennis Allen was the interim head coach for that 9-0 victory due to Sean Payton testing positive for COVID-19 so he already knows what it takes to beat the Bucs because he's already done it.

While the Saints had some major hiccups on both sides of the football during their 27-26 victory over the Falcons, it's expected for there to be rust in Week 1, especially when not many starters play during the preseason. That Week 1 game is the first time a lot of these guys played together as a unit and it showed.

The defense had a tough time stopping the run and failed to sack Marcus Mariota once. On the other side of the ball, Jameis Winston had 24 yards passing in the first half because the offensive line failed to protect him. Both sides picked things up late in the game, however, and that should be the team we see consistently. At least that's the hope.

It's also worth throwing out there that the Bucs have their fair share of injuries to their offensive line and the Cowboys got to Brady in Week 1, sacking him twice. The Saints pass rush should be able to bounce back and get after TB12 in what could be his last game in the Superdome.

Our prediction for this game might seem like a homer pick but oh well. Give us Saints 24, Bucs 17.