Betting on the Tampa Bay Bucs vs. New Orleans Saints Game: Money Line Could Pay Big
For those of you betting on the Tampa Bay Bucs vs. New Orleans Saints game, keep in mind that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers money line would pay $33.50 for every $10 bet with a Tampa outright win at Sportsbook.com.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: New Orleans -8.5 & 50
Opening Line & Total: Saints -7.5 & 50.5
The Saints seek to pay back the visiting Buccaneers who ended New Orleans’ four-game win streak in Tampa Bay three weeks ago.
New Orleans also needs to bounce back from a stunning loss to the winless Rams last week. But the Bucs have had the Saints’ number of late, winning three of four (SU and ATS) against Drew Brees and Co. That included a 26-20 win in Tampa in Week 6. But the Saints still rolled up 453 yards of offense in that game; the difference was four turnovers, including three Brees interceptions. The Saints do have two blowout wins over Tampa in the past three seasons, but the Bucs had the bye week to prepare for this game, and the team is hopeful to get top RB LeGarrette Blount (knee) back on the field after missing the past two games. The Buccaneers are 8-2 ATS (5-5 SU) in their past 10 trips to New Orleans.
Blount will certainly help a stalled Bucs running game that will be without Earnest Graham (Achilles) for the rest of the season. Tampa Bay has rushed for only 233 yards (78 YPG) in the past three weeks, but Blount rumbled for 208 yards in his past two full games. He ran for 66 yards on 19 carries (3.5 YPC) against the Saints last year. QB Josh Freeman is tied with Brees for the most interceptions in the NFC this year (10) after throwing four picks in the loss to Chicago. Freeman had just 6 INT during the entire 2010 season. However, the third-year pro had a strong effort in Week 6 against the Saints (303 passing yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) and also lit them up in last year’s visit to New Orleans (21-of-26, 255 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT).
On the defensive side of the ball, Tampa Bay ranks 26th against the pass (268 YPG) and 23rd in rushing defense (123 YPG), but has helped itself out with 11 takeaways over the past five weeks. Two key players are questionable with ankle injuries -- inside-clogging DT Gerald McCoy and starting MLB Mason Foster. FS Tanard Jackson (team-high 2 INT) is also questionable with a hamstring injury.
Brees has been much better at home this year, sporting a 124.4 QB rating (322 pass YPG, 11 TD, 2 INT) as opposed to an 88.4 mark on the road. He has had mixed results in his career against what is usually a strong Tampa Bay defense. Brees has a 6-6 record, 66.5% completion rate, 256 passing YPG, 23 TD and 12 INT lifetime versus the Bucs. In the past three games, he has a mediocre 5 TD and 5 INT. The Saints ground game chewed up 236 yards in the last home game, a 62-7 win over Indianapolis, but they have only reached 120 rushing yards in one other game this year. Without leading rusher Mark Ingram (heel) on the field last week in St. Louis, the Saints gained 56 yards on 20 carries. Ingram’s status for Sunday is uncertain. New Orleans has rushed for a subpar 176 yards in its past two meetings with Tampa Bay.
Other than forcing three turnovers during the Colts blowout, New Orleans has failed to reach two takeaways in any of its other seven games this year. The run defense has surrendered 617 yards (154 YPG) in the past four weeks, but Tampa has been the only opponent to throw for 220 yards on the Saints over the past five games.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
