Here come the Bucs! Tampa Bay moved to within a game of Seattle in the NFC Wild Card race with a narrow four-point victory over Atlanta on Sunday. They will look to slice that deficit even further when they take on the struggling New Orleans Saints in a critical showdown at Raymond James Stadium.
Who will grab the edge in this NFC South clash? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this divisional matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our Week 14 previews of Seattle vs. Baltimore and NY Giants vs. Miami.
[sc:Football ]New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
When: Sunday, December 13, 1:00 PM ET
Line: New Orleans Saints (+3.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5); total: 50.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the New Orleans Saints (4-8)
New Orleans’ losing woes show no sign of abating as the Saints crashed to their fourth straight defeat with a gut-wrenching 41-38 loss to Carolina on Sunday. The Saints had no answer for Cam Newton who tied a career-high with five touchdown passes. With the loss, the Saints fell to 4-8 – their worst record through 12 games in the Drew Brees-Sean Payton era.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Saints will look to get their season back on track when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday. For the Saints to end their losing rut, they will need to improve their play on the defensive end. The Panthers ran riot against the Saints’ embattled secondary, racking up 322 passing yards and five scores. The Saints are now on pace to shatter the NFL record for touchdown passes allowed (40) in a single season. The Saints have now surrendered a whopping 35 passing touchdowns this campaign.
Defense has been a major concern for the Saints the entire year. New Orleans is 32nd in the NFL in total defense, allowing 425.2 yards per game this season. The Saints will have their work cut out for them against a Tampa Bay side that is ninth in the NFL in the total offense department, averaging 369.9 yards per game this campaign.
With their defense in disarray, the pressure is on quarterback Drew Brees to deliver this coming weekend against the Bucs. He was solid in the loss to Carolina, completing 24-of-42 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He will fancy his chances against a Tampa Bay secondary that has allowed 24 scores through the air this campaign, fifth-most in the NFL.
The Saints are 2-4 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will head to their showdown with New Orleans with momentum on their side after beating the Atlanta Falcons, 23-19, on Sunday. It was another solid victory for the streaking Bucs who have now won three of their last four games.
Starring for Tampa Bay in this thrilling contest was star quarterback Jameis Winston. The 2013 Heisman Trophy scored his fourth career rushing touchdown on a 5-yard run in the first quarter, then scrambled up the middle of the field for 20 yards on a critical third-and-19 in the final quarter to extend the Bucs’ game-winning drive. He also completed 18 of 27 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Also impressing for the Bucs in this all-important victory was Doug Martin. The running back torched the Atlanta defensive line with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He is second in the league in rushing offense, racking up a whopping 1,133 yards on the ground this campaign. He’s next only to the great Adrian Peterson.
They will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on New Orleans this coming Sunday. For the Bucs to make it back-to-back wins, they will need to continue their excellent play on the defensive end. The Tampa Bay defense was exceptional on Sunday, holding Atlanta to just 319 total yards. The Bucs are ninth in the NFL in total defense, allowing just 337.2 yards per game this season.
The Bucs are 3-3 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Tampa Bay (-3.5) wins, 24-20.
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