Ever since Tom Brady switched from the New England Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers three years ago, they have been the favorites to win the NFC south division of the NFL. Expectations were high when Brady came to Tampa. 2020 saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Superbowl with Brady, but they did not dominate the NFC South.
Odd-makers see the Tampa Buccs as strong favorites to win the NFC south. The bookies give them a huge advantage over second place saints. The Buccs are actually the largest projected division winner in the NFL. They Pipe the Buffalo Bills who are at -230 to win the AFC East.
The NFC south is unbalanced. Here is each team, their odds and reasons:
Table of Contents
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
To win the Superbowl – 2nd at +750
To win NFC South- 1st, -300
To win NFC- 1st +325
The Goat (greatest of All time) Effect
Brady had recently announced his retirement from the sport. Experts wondered whether the Tampa buccaneers impressive run would continue without him. The Buccs were tasked with filling the gaping hole he left as well as maintaining the rooster that brought the much-famed Lombardi trophy back to the bay inn 2020.
Critics were dumbfounded while fans were elated when Brady issued a U-turn on his retirement. With his return to the Bay, the buccaneers are big favorites for the division.
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That said, Brady came back from retirement after the NCAA tournament brackets were announced. His decision jolted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into heavy favorites. When compared to other teams in that division, the Buccaneers are the strongest. All bets against them are based on the guess that this might be the year Tom Brady finally flutters.
At 45, Brady is still operating as effectively as he was in his early days. No quarterback has been able to Replicate what Tom Brady is currently doing. Tom was nominated for Mvp candidate last season. Even if Tom Slips, he is still far better than all the other quarterbacks in the Division.
Team rooster
Todd Bowles replaced Bruce Arians as the Buccs head coach. This move was sorted with minimal internal strife among the coaching staff and players. The coach managed to maintain; Ryan Jensen, Chris Godwin, and Carlton Davis. While Shaq Mason, Carl Nassib and Julio jones were also added to the rooster
Strong defense
Todd Bowles is known for coaching his sides to adopt a more defensive minded approach to games. With the move to the Buccs, he now possesses some of the best disruptors in the league. Tampa Bay generated 29 takeaways and gave up 92.5 rushing yards per game. This was the third fewest rushing yards per game in the league.
Akiem Hicks a new arrival, slots next to Vita Vea, Lavonte David, Devine White and Antoine Winefield Jnr bolstering that defense. The buccaneers are favorites for NFC south as they lack serious competition.
The New Orléans Saints
To win NFC South – +340
To win NFC Championship – +1800
To win the Superbowl- +4000
Teams defense
The saints boast of a really good defense. They gave up 19.7 points per game as well as 93.5 rushing yards per game. This was the fourth fewest in the league. The saints have added Tyrann Mathieu to help bolster the team.
The saints attack
They however have serious issues at the quarterback position. Jameis Winston is the leading Quarterback and is a questionable choice. He is coming of a torn ACL injury and is yet to recapture his best form.
The injury is however the least of his worries. When his in-play stats are compared to other Quarterbacks, it shows that he has not been a steady or reliable Quarterback.
Coaching staff
Sean Payton is a coach the saints will miss. Sean will likely be a hall of famer one day. This is just but a glimpse of what his talents as a coach are. His experience, expertise and guidance will surely be missed by the saints. His replacement Dennis Allen comes highly recommended and seems ready for his second head coaching gig. He however has big shoes to fill.
The saints are clear second in the Division. However, the Panthers recent business ought to keep them on their toes. The saint’s player Alvin Kamara’s performance will heavily influence the saints.
Carolina Panthers
To win NFC Championship – +10000
To win NFC south – +2500
To win Superbowl – +25000
The Carolina Panthers made a big statement when they got Mayfield. However, upon closer scrutiny on this move, you get to see that Mayfield is a flawed Quarterback.
It is interesting to note that the Cleveland Browns paid $10.5 million and took almost nothing their way in this trade. This is surprising considering the Browns are left with Jacoby Brisset as the leading choice for most if not all of the new season. This trade was done despite Cleveland Brown’s uncertainty over Deshawn Watson.
Panther’s attack
The team recorded the third fewest yards per game at 298.9 and posted the fewest points at 17.9. Using Mayfield as the solution to fix this disjointed attack is like trying to put out a fire with petrol.
However, Mayfield is a clear upgrade over Sam Darnold. The quarterback duo of Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield hardly inspires confidence in a team that lost 12 of their last 14 matches
Atlanta Falcons
To win Superbowl- +25000
To win the NFC Championship- +10,000
To win NFC south – +2500
This is the worst team in that division. The team has the second lowest odds to win the Superbowl second to the Houston Texans. Bookmakers are realizing this and the falcon odds are steadily dropping.
The team’s overall rooster is not strong. Falcons traded Matt Ryan for Marcus Mariota. This is clearly a bridge move, showing that Marcus Mariota will likely deputize for whomever comes to the falcons in 2023.
Conclusion
The Buccaneers are a strong side this season. With a star-studded lineup, expect the NFC south division to be a walk in the park for them.
