There will be major implications in the NFC South on Sunday in Tampa, FL where the Bucs will host the Saints at 1:00 p.m. ET. With Tampa Bay listed as a 3-point home favorite and the total sitting at 42.5, what’s the best bet in today’s Saints vs. Bucs matchup?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
121 New Orleans Saints (+2.5) at 122 Tampa Bay Bucs (-2.5); o/u 42.5
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 31, 2023
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
TV: FOX
Saints vs. Bucs Public Betting Information
Our NFL Public Betting Information page indicates that 68% of public bettors are currently backing the Bucs when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
New Orleans Saints DFS Spin
Alvin Kamara (illness) is questionable for Week 17 against the Bucs. Kamara was added to the injury report on Friday. He did not practice before drawing the questionable tag. NewOrleans.Football’s Brooke Kirchhofer reports Kamara is expected to play. Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is out with a knee issue again meaning Landon Young will start at right tackle. Kamara will rank as an RB1 in a must-win game versus the Bucs.
Tampa Bay Bucs DFS Spin
Baker Mayfield completed 26-of-35 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 30-12, Week 16 win over the Jaguars, adding five yards on five carries. Mayfield hit alpha wide receiver Mike Evans for both passing scores, each coming in the second quarter. His passing volume would be sapped in the second half after the Buccaneers surged out to a commanding 30-0 lead in the third quarter, coasting in game management mode for the remainder of the game.
Now 8-7 with a game in hand in the NFC South, the Buccaneers control their own destiny in the crowded NFC playoff picture, with two divisional matchups against the Saints and Panthers remaining.
Saints vs. Bucs Betting Trends
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans’s last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The over/under has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games at home
Saints vs. Bucs Prediction:
Take New Orleans. With the way Mayfield and the Bucs have played of late, I can certainly understand why a lot of bettors will be on Tampa today. That said, the Saints are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 games versus the Bucs and are a perfect 5-0 against the number in their last five games at Raymond James Stadium. They’ve also won outright in eight of their last 11 games when playing in Tampa, FL.
Derek Carr and the Saints’ season is on the line today. They lose, and they can kiss any chance of making the playoffs goodbye. If they win, they’ll even things up with the Bucs and set up another intriguing divisional matchup next week with the Falcons. Either way, I see this game coming down to the wire, so I’ll take the three points and put it in my back pocket.
Saints vs. Bucs NFL Prediction: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS +3
