Saints vs. Buccaneers: Preview, score prediction for Week 17

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Heading into this NFC South matchup, the New Orleans Saints don’t have much at stake. Neither do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as one is headed to the playoffs and another isn’t. The Bucs are rearing up to have the 5th overall draft pick and the Saints will likely rest their players before the playoffs.

As the last week of the regular season though, watching them might not be a bad idea. It could give an idea of how the Saints will play during the playoffs. As for the Bucs, it will give them an idea of what they need to focus on in the 2018 draft.

So then, what can we expect to finish out the regular season for these two squads?

Keys to Victory

Looking at the Saints, they don’t have much room for improvement. One thing they need to make sure is not to play easily on defense. The defense has been a huge struggle for years and they can’t let up on that side of the ball during this game. The Bucs will try to take any advantage they can to get the win and they can’t play easy. Offensively, they have been incredible. They just can’t give on defense despite having an upcoming playoff run.

As for the Bucs, they have underperformed all season. 2017 looked incredibly promising and sadly, they didn’t deliver. Offensively, Jameis Winston needs to stop trying to force throws, especially to Mike Evans. Evans is a talented receiver, but he’s not their only one so he needs to learn to adapt.

Defensively, the Bucs have to stifle the run. Even if they can’t put any pressure on Brees, stopping the run is a must. In their last meeting, Alvin Kamara ran all over them and they need to find a way to stop him. Stopping Kamara is the biggest key to a victory and will ultimately decide whose favor the game goes in.

Odds

Point Spread: New Orleans -7 
Moneyline: New Orleans -310, Tampa Bay +260
Over/Under: 49.5

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Jets land QB, Cowboys replace Dez

Prediction

After such a dominant game last time, the New Orleans Saints are the clear favorite. Even if they rest starters, there’s still a lot of potentials there. Considering how poorly the Bucs season has gone, it’s hard not to imagine them losing just one more. Hopefully, for the Saints, it’ll be an easy win before their playoff run.

Pick: New Orleans Saints: 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13