NFC South supremacy will be at stake in Week 8 as the New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a critical showdown at the Caesars Superdome. Can Tom Brady continue his MVP form in this Bucs vs Saints clash, or will Jameis Winston deliver a statement game in his first start against his former team?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers installed as -4.5 favorites
There is just no stopping Tampa Bay right now. The Buccaneers extended their winning streak to four games with a resounding 38-3 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Tom Brady starred for the Bucs, completing 20 of 36 passes for 211 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Brady made history in the process as he recorded his 600th touchdown pass, the first quarterback in the history of the NFL to accomplish that feat. He threw all his four touchdown passes in the first half as the Bucs built a comprehensive 35-3 advantage, three of which were caught by Mike Evans.
Evans and Chris Godwin stepped up big time in the absence of Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown as they combined for 187 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The good news for the Bucs is that Gronkowski and Brown are expected to return for their Week 8 game against the New Orleans Saints.
Tampa Bay's defense also had its best game of the season against Chicago, limiting the Bears to just a second-quarter field goal and sacking rookie quarterback Justin Fields four times. The Bucs also recorded three interceptions and forced two fumbles.
Related Article: Cowboys vs Vikings Week 8 Predictions, Picks, and Preview: Prescott, Cousins Face-Off on SNF
New Orleans Saints enter Week 8 as +4.5 underdogs
The New Orleans Saints will head back home with momentum on their side after they edged past the Seattle Seahawks, 13-10, in their Monday Night Football showdown. Brian Johnson kicked the game-winning 33-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining to hand the Saints their second consecutive win. With the victory, the Saints moved to within 1.5 games of leaders Tampa Bay in the NFC South standings ahead of their crunch meeting in Week 8.
One guy who needs to step up for the Saints in that divisional matchup is Alvin Kamara. He was sensational in the win against the Seahawks, accounting for 179 total yards and a score. Kamara did most of his damage through the air in the first half, catching eight passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
He made history as a result, becoming the fastest-ever player to reach 3,000 yards rushing and 3,000 yards receiving, achieving the feat in just his 66th career NFL game. He broke Roger Craig's record that has stood for over 3 ½ decades.
The Saints will fancy their chances against the Bucs as they have fared extremely well against them in the regular season of late. The Saints have won their last five regular-season games against the Bucs, dating back to 2018. However, Tampa Bay defeated New Orleans in the NFC Divisional Round last season, which was Drew Brees' final game as a Saint.
Writer's Prediction
Tampa Bay wins and covers the spread.
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