Popular betting site very down on the 2023 Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected by many to take a step back this season.  It's not an unreasonable prediction, given the retirement of the greatest QB in NFL history and the relative improvement of other teams in the NFC South.  However, one very popular online betting site thinks that step back will be a […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected by many to take a step back this season.  It's not an unreasonable prediction, given the retirement of the greatest QB in NFL history and the relative improvement of other teams in the NFC South. 

However, one very popular online betting site thinks that step back will be a massive leap.  

DraftKings, one of the official betting sponsors of the NFL, has released game odds for all 18 weeks of the NFL season.  As of the date of this publication, the Buccaneers are favored in exactly one game.  

Here is the schedule with respective DraftKings odds listed: 

  • Week 1 (Sept. 10): @ Minnesota (MIN -7)
  • Week 2 (Sept. 17): vs. Chicago (CHI -1.5)
  • Week 3 (Monday, Sept. 25): vs. Philadelphia (PHI -6)
  • Week 4 (Oct. 1): @ New Orleans (NO -3.5)
  • Week 5 (Oct. 8): Bye
  • Week 6 (Oct. 15): vs. Detroit (DET -3.5)
  • Week 7 (Oct. 22): vs. Atlanta (ATL -1)
  • Week 8 (Thurs., Oct. 26): @ Buffalo (BUF -10)
  • Week 9 (Nov. 5): @ Houston (HOU -1)
  • Week 10 (Nov. 12): vs. Tennessee (TEN -1)
  • Week 11 (Nov. 19): @ San Francisco (SF -7.5)
  • Week 12 (Nov. 26): @ Indianapolis (IND -1)
  • Week 13 (Dec. 3): vs. Carolina (TB -1)
  • Week 14 (Dec. 10): @ Atlanta (ATL -2.5)
  • Week 15 (Dec. 17): @ Green Bay (GB -3.5)
  • Week 16 (Dec. 24): vs. Jacksonville (JAX -3.5)
  • Week 17 (Dec. 31): vs. New Orleans (NO -1.5)
  • Week 18 (TBA): @ Carolina (CAR -2.5)

Week 13 at home against Carolina is it.  By one point.  That is absolutely wild.  

The middle of the Bucs' schedule features a number of teams with varying combinations of new head coaches, new quarterbacks, and/or subpar 2022 results.  Specifically, the stretch from Houston through Green Bay, with the exception of San Francisco (if Brock Purdy recovers as he's expected to).  None of that apparently matters to the oddsmakers for DraftKings.  

The Tampa Bay defense is still formidable from up front to the back end and should give new quarterbacks problems.  The offense still has playmakers and plenty of talented veterans.  It's hard to see them going on the road and losing to the porous Texans and Colts with CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson, respectively, at the helm.  

But it's extremely rare for a sportsbook to go out on its own with rogue odds, so it's likely that other betting sites have or will have odds similar to this.  

It's just further proof that the Buccaneers are being discounted in a major way in 2023.  And that discount could be very valuable to those who choose to get down on the Bucs.  

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