The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) host the New Orleans Saints (5-11). Tampa Bay’s path is simple. They need a Week 18 win or an Atlanta loss to clinch the NFC South. Our Saints vs Buccaneers prediction is for heavily favored Tampa to cover the 14-point spread.
Head-to-head, New Orleans leads with a record of 40-26.
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | +14 (-113) | +660 | O 43.5 (-113) |
| Buccaneers | -14 (-107) | -1000 | U 43.5 (-107) |
New Orleans’ Woeful Season Comes to a Close
It has been a terrible season overall for the Saints. Although they got off to a 2-0 start with blowout wins over Carolina and Dallas—scoring 47 and 44 points—they lost seven straight games, costing head coach Dennis Allen his job.
Now, they’re without starting quarterback Derek Carr, star running back Alvin Kamara, and receiver Chris Olave. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi is unlikely to get the full-time job.
They have nothing to play for in Week 18 apart from getting a better pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Currently, they are picking 10th, but if they lose to Tampa and a few teams ahead of them win on Sunday, they could jump a few slots.
Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has looked overmatched. He is without any viable weapons. Tampa Bay will be in a frenzy to win the game and the division.
The math points to New Orleans checking out early.
Tampa Bay Finally Got Some Luck in Week 17
“Up and down” is the only accurate way to describe Tampa’s season. They lost four straight from Week 7 to Week 10. Then, after a bye, they won five of six. Still, entering Week 17, they were tied with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South. They needed to win and get some help from Washington.
They achieved both with a 48-14 blowout over Carolina in the afternoon and watched Sunday Night Football as Washington obliged them by beating Atlanta 30-24 in overtime.
Despite losing both their matchups to Atlanta and with it, the tiebreaker if they have the same record, all Tampa needs to do is beat New Orleans and they will win the division. Depending on the outcome of the Rams-Seahawks matchup, they could even get the 3 seed.
This amounts to a playoff game for Tampa. They are generally healthy. However, tight end Cade Otton, running back Bucky Irving, and wide receiver Sterling Shepard are questionable. The best-case scenario for Tampa is for New Orleans to surrender early so the Bucs can rest their players.
Saints vs Buccaneers Prediction: Tampa Wraps Up the Division
The Buccaneers know what’s at stake. They have a ruthless on-field leader in quarterback Baker Mayfield. They’ll end the game early, rest their players, and prepare for a home playoff game.
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