Bucs vs. Saints Week 2 Betting: Back Brady and the Bucs in New Orleans

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season left football fans with many memorable moments. However, those are in the rearview mirror as Week 2 is set to begin in a few days. One of the games to look forward to is an all-NFC South clash between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

The Buccaneers didn’t need to try too hard in their season opener, securing a 19-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Leonard Fournette carried the ball 21 times for 127 yards in the victory, while Mike Evans had five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, the Saints needed a 17-point fourth quarter to come back and defeat the Atlanta Falcons, 27-26. Former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Michael Thomas looked solid in his first game in nearly two seasons, hauling in five balls for 57 yards and a pair of TDs.

Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the latest Bucs vs. Saints odds from BetOnline Sportsbook to help shed some light on the situation, along with a prediction and best bets for the NFL Week 2 game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Week 2 Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0, 1-0 Away) vs. New Orleans Saints (1-0, 0-0 Home)
• Venue & Location: Bovada Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022
• Game Time: 1 p.m. Eastern Time
• Bucs vs. Saints Info: FOX, NFL+

Bucs vs. Saints Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Tuesday, September 13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5 (-134)/New Orleans Saints +2.5 (+110)
• Saturday, September 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5 (-110)/New Orleans Saints +2.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Tuesday, September 13: Over 44.5 (-110)/Under 44.5 (-110)
• Saturday, September 17: Over 43.5 (-118)/Under 43.5 (-104)

Moneyline

• Tuesday, September 13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -158/New Orleans Saints +134
• Saturday, September 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -136/New Orleans Saints +116

Bucs vs. Saints Betting Trends

• Tampa Bay is 5-0 straight up in its last five road games.
• New Orleans is 7-1 straight up in its last eight games against Tampa Bay.
• Tampa Bay is 8-3 against the spread (ATS) in its last 11 games.
• New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last five Week 2 matchups.
• The total has hit the over in four of Tampa Bay’s last five road games against New Orleans.
• The total has hit the under in six of New Orleans’ last eight games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction and Picks

Bucs vs. Saints Prediction: Bucs 31, Saints 21

Bucs vs. Saints Picks: Bucs -2.5 (Best Value: -134 at BetOnline) & Over 44.0 Points (Best Value: -110 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Although rivalries can be evenly matched, that hasn’t been the case lately between these two NFC South teams. The Saints have won seven of their last eight games against the Bucs, including sweeping the 2021 seasons series.

The Saints didn’t look great for a decent portion of their game against the Falcons. Atlanta wasn’t pegged as a good team this year, so the fact that New Orleans was down 26-10 in the fourth quarter is somewhat concerning.

Ultimately, Dennis Allen’s squad showed heart by battling back for the victory. Nevertheless, the Saints can’t expect to come from behind to beat the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is too good of a team to let that happen.

Even if the Saints have had recent success against their division rivals, there are good reasons to like the Buccaneers here. For starters, New Orleans surrendered 201 rushing yards to the Falcons, which bodes well for Fournette when it comes to recreating his Week 1 performance.

The Saints’ run game was a big part of their Week 1 success, however, that won’t be easy to replicate on Sunday. The Buccaneers just held the Cowboys to 71 rushing yards on 18 attempts. Considering that Alvin Kamara only had nine carries for 39 rushing yards last week, it’ll be interesting to see if the Saints hand him the ball more.

Another reason why I’m wary of the Saints is that they weren’t really in control last week. They only held the ball for 26:16, which equates to about 43.7% of the game. If they let Tampa Bay hold the ball for over half of the matchup, Tom Brady and co. will make them pay for it.

At the end of the day, I think this will be closer than some expect. The Saints have had the Bucs’ number and additions to the offense like Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave will help a lot. However, Tampa Bay is a well-rounded team and should be a much tougher test than the Falcons.

I expect the Buccaneers to cover the 2.5-point spread this week — something they’ve done in eight of their last 11 games. Both teams have also combined for the total in 60% of their last 10 games and considering the offensive potential on both sides, I could see that trend continuing as well.

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