Bucs-Saints Final Score Predictions: Tampa Bay looks to strengthen its NFC South lead in Week 8

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to move to 2-0 in the NFC South and 6-2 before its Week 9 bye, but it’ll have to get through the New Orleans Saints, first.The Saints only have one win, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to let the Bucs off with an easy win. Especially on their […]

Adam Holt, Craig Smith, Evan Winter
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Oct 20, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles reacts during the first half at Ford Field.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to move to 2-0 in the NFC South and 6-2 before its Week 9 bye, but it’ll have to get through the New Orleans Saints, first.

The Saints only have one win, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to let the Bucs off with an easy win. Especially on their home turf.

We’ve already broken down the top items to watch on both offense and defense, so now, it’s time for our final score predictions. Fellow Bucs writer Craig Smith and A to Z New Orleans’ Adam Holt are back again to give their say, as well.

Bucs 27, Saints 13

The Saints will keep the game close in the early going simply because they’ll be fired up and ready to take on the Bucs, but even with the injuries, the Bucs are way more talented and that’ll make the difference in the end.

Expect Baker Mayfield and the offense to bounce back. The passing game will return to serviceable form, but it may not be a dominant showing because the Saints secondary runs a lot of man coverage and Cover 3, which is exactly what the Detroit Lions do. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is probably going to borrow some things from Week 7 – the good news is the Bucs will have better ideas on how to adjust this time around.

I’m not sure what to expect from the ground game, as the Bucs have been inconsistent in that area and the Saints have shown some signs of life with its run defense. Expect Rachaad White and Sean Tucker to get a lot more action than they did last week, though.

On defense, the Bucs should be just fine, even without Haason Reddick. The Saints offense simply doesn’t have the tools needed to score a lot of points. It should be a strong day for Vita Vean and Co. as long as they don’t give up the big play.

– Evan Winter, A to Z Tampa Bay

Bucs 23, Saints 16

Nothing has been too easy this season with this Tampa Bay team, even in wins. I don’t think it will be for most of the game on Sunday against a 1-6 New Orleans Saints team either. As mentioned before, the running game has been choppy for weeks now, with the team eclipsing the 100-yard rushing total mark just once (barely, at 104 yards against San Francisco) since Bucky Irving went down. I don’t think they’re going to find a big day this time around like they did in 2024 in the Superdome, when Sean Tucker earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors with 192 scrimmage yards.

This is going to be a game where offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard is tested as far as getting creative. I think we’ll see more of a grind-it-out offense, with Cade Otton and Rachaad White stepping up their roles in the passing game. More extended drives, and that’ll lead to more field goals than touchdowns.

But the Bucs’ defense has an easier task that they did on Monday night against a New Orleans team that is generating the fourth fewest points per game at 17.9. Provided they can patch up their defensive lapses against opposing running backs in the passing attack and keep Alvin Kamara from going off, they’ll keep the Saints offense in check and force a couple of key turnovers that decide the game.

– Craig Smith, A to Z Tennessee

Bucs 20, Saints 17

This game could go in a lot of different directions. New Orleans is dealing with a massive new injury on the offensive line regarding Erik McCoy, and the defensive front has been lackluster recently. That being said, the injury report is incredibly lengthy for Tampa Bay. The Bucs are going to be shorthanded at certain spots on both sides of the football, and the Saints have to take advantage.

Spencer Rattler took a step back last week against Chicago, and Kellen Moore wasn’t afraid to turn up the heat on him a little bit after the loss. The quarterback situation for New Orleans is a “week-to-week” one, according to the young head coach. We could see Tyler Shough before long if the Saints continue to lose games, but I would expect Rattler to start and finish this matchup.

The Saints’ plan to slow down the passing game of the Buccaneers may make all of the difference in the world. They struggled badly against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots a couple of weeks ago when it came to downfield passing. In Week 7, New Orleans’ biggest defensive flaw was their run defense. Clearly, there are issues at every level, and Brandon Staley has to find better ways to plug them. All that being said, I expect a tightly-contested divisional matchup here, but Tampa grabs a narrow victory.

– Adam Holt, A to Z New Orleans

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