The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1) hit the road this week after a home blowout over the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints (4-2), return home after back-to-back victories on the road. Below, we’ll take a look at the early NFL odds and the best sportsbook to bet with.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, October 31, 2021 – 04:25 PM EDT at Ceasars Superdome
The Bucs entered last week as an 11.5-point favorite and continue to be the favored team for this matchup. As for the Saints, they were 4-point favorites in Week 7 and are now the underdog this week. According to Bovada, Tampa is a 6-point favorite over New Orleans with the over/under at 50.
The Matchup
The Buccaneers managed to cover an 11.5-point spread last Sunday by absolutely crushing the Bears 38-3. Tom Brady threw his 600th touchdown pass and asked for the ball back from a fan. The Bucs are now on route to a fourth straight win.
So far this season, Brady has thrown for 2,275 yards and 21 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. He wouldn’t be able to get the job done without the numerous weapons he has on offense which has made things a lot easier for him. Not to mention his offensive line that has only allowed Brady to hit the ground nine times this season––putting them third across the league.
On the defensive side of the ball, however, they have allowed the ninth-most passing yards a game heading into Week 8. But their run defense ranked third, has kept them above muddy waters.
The Saints won on Monday night, beating the Seahawks 13-10 but it was a very ugly football game to watch and the Manning brothers, plus Marshawn Lynch can vouch for that. This New Orleans team has been like a box of chocolates––yes––you never know what you’re going to get.
Jameis Winston has looked decent, throwing for 1,114 yards and 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions. But, not having productive weapons in the passing game has truly impacted his overall performance. Running back Alvin Kamara has been a key factor, carrying most of the workload on offense, and has 419 rushing yards and 241 receiving yards on the season so far.
Thankfully, the Saints’ defensive unit has been one of the best in the league, ranking third rush yards allowed.
Prediction
For our NFL pick, the Saints enter this game off of a short week of rest, but that shouldn’t matter. Winston will be looking for revenge over the Bucs, who drafted him first overall in 2015 before kicking him to the curb.
He’ll want to put on his best performance in this game, but Brady’s offense will just be too good for them to keep up with. And if the run game is all that the Saints have going for them, well then pulling off a victory won’t be easy.
NFL Pick: New Orlean Saints +6 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
