Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021-2022 Season Preview, Odds and Win Totals

The Buccaneers were sitting at 7-5, reeling off of two consecutive losses heading into their Week 13 bye week of the 2020 NFL season. They were still in the playoff race, but out of sight of the division champion Saints, who had throttled them twice before.

With four winnable games left on the schedule, the Bucs found their rhythm at the most opportune time. They closed out the year with eight consecutive wins, culminating with the Lombardi Trophy and a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 in their home stadium in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 Outlook

Heading into 2021, Brady returns for his second year with all of their starters back on both sides of the ball. On offense, Leonard Fournette will likely take the lead of a very crowded backfield with Ronald Jones, the newly signed Giovani Bernard and second-year player Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Chris Godwin is back on the franchise tag and will continue to play alongside Mike Evans, Antonio Brown and Scott Miller, and Rob Gronkowski should continue to lead the way at tight end when healthy.

On defense, their formidable front is back as last year’s sixth ranked total defense returns with another opportunity to repeat as defending champions.

Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett has a fresh four-year, $68 million dollar contract in hand, and the team’s top inside linebackers in Lavonte David and Devin White should remain amongst the best in the NFL.

The Bucs also added a few intriguing pieces through the NFL Draft with Washington’s Joe Tryon as the next stepping stone to Pierre-Paul alongside Barrett. Tampa also used a second round pick on Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds: Division, Conference, Super Bowl

WynnBET Sportsbook has posted the Buccaneers as heavy favorites to win the NFC South at -220 odds. Since moving from the NFC Central division to the South in 2022, Tampa Bay has won the division just three times: 2002, 2005, and 2007. The Saints (+370) are the reigning four-time division champions.

WynnBET also has high expectations for the Bucs to return for another championship. They have the lowest odds to win the NFC at +275, as well as the second lowest numbers to win the Super Bowl at +725. Only the Chiefs are considered higher favorites to take home a championship at +475.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 Regular Season Win Total | 11.5 WINS, OVER (-150), UNDER (+120)

Ben Heisler:

The Bucs have a very favorable schedule in a weakened NFC South, making them a prime candidate to not only take home their first division championship since 2007, but perhaps run away with it.

Much like the Chiefs a season ago, there’s no need for this year’s Bucs team to go through the growing pains of last season. Every starter returns with a specific goal in mind: “run it back.”

Since I'm grabbing the over 11.5 on the WynnBET set total, in a 17-game season, I’m tempted to look at 14 wins at +700 odds. But this is still a team that’s dealt with notable injuries in the past, including at multiple skill position spots on offense. Health, as opposed to talent will be the only element holding back Tampa from the best record in the league. 

Looking at their schedule, I only envision two times where the Bucs will not be favorites to win: Week 3 at Los Angeles, perhaps Week 8 on the road in New Orleans, and potentially Week 12 in Indianapolis. Factor in a letdown game or two, and I think 13 wins is the magic number.

PREDICTION: OVER 11.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 13 WINS (+300)

Donnavan Smoot:

It’s hard to find a weakness on the Buccaneers. They have a top 10 defense, one of the best wide receiving corps in the league and of course the GOAT quarterback in Tom Brady. Obviously, injuries will derail any year, but, barring injury, 2021 will be a victory lap season for the reigning champs. 

The NFC South isn’t as formidable as it was just a few years ago. The Panthers and Falcons are in an “rebuilding” phase while the Saints just lost Drew Brees. I expect the Buccaneers to run through the division. As for the rest of their schedule, there isn’t much to worry about. Tampa Bay has the second-easiest schedule in the league. 

Tom Brady, as insane as it sounds, isn’t showing any signs of falling off any time soon. If Brady can keep up his level of production, then Tampa Bay will be right back in contention. 

The real question for the Buccaneers is whether they get the bye week for the first round of the playoffs. In a longer season, taking a game off for your soon-to-be 44-year old quarterback could be a tremendous advantage. 

Looking at the landscape of the conference right now, the Buccaneers should have a fun season.

PREDICTION: OVER 11.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 13 WINS (+300)

Peter Dewey:

We’re going on Year 21 for Tom Brady in the NFL, and as much as I don’t want to see him dominate the league again, I’m not going to bet against him. 

Brady proved a lot of people wrong last season, showing he had enough left in the tank to lead the Bucs to the playoffs in his first year away from Bill Belichick and the Patriots. 

Tampa Bay didn’t win the NFC South, but then again, it didn’t need to. Brady led the Bucs past MVP Aaron Rodgers and the defending champion Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes to win his seventh Super Bowl. Who’s to say the Bucs can’t build on that success in 2021?

Brady played last year on a torn MCL, and with him back healthy and the Bucs returning every starter from last year’s team, I expect them to be one of the top teams in the NFC once again. WynnBET has projections for both their exact win total and over/under on wins and I’m feeling confident in the Bucs ending up on the high side on both. 

With the NFC South getting weaker this year as the Saints won’t have Drew Brees, and will be missing Michael Thomas for a significant chunk of the season, I don’t see why the Bucs won’t roll through the division. Chalk them up for at least a 5-1 finish against the rest of the NFC South on their way to a 13-4 finish. 

Brady may be getting up there in age, but he’s just impossible to bet against after what he and the rest of the Bucs accomplished last season. 

PREDICTION: OVER 11.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 13 WINS (+300)

Iain MacMillan:

I’ve been saying that Tom Brady is too old and that he’s finally going to regress almost every season since 2013. Yet here we are, entering another season with Brady being the defending Super Bowl champion. As much as I would like to write about how he’s playing ability is going to fall off a cliff this year, there’s just no evidence that would point to that.

The Buccaneers are returning every single starter from last season, which is bad news for their opponents. Once they started to gel and figure out their chemistry, there was no stopping them. Since their BYE week in 2020, they haven’t lost a game.

The fact that the Saints lost Drew Brees to retirement and Michael Thomas to an injury only helps the Bucs' chances in the NFC South. I can’t see how they don’t have another successful season to give Brady a shot at an astounding eighth Super Bowl win.

PREDICTION: OVER 11.5 wins (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 14 wins (+700)

Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Reach the Playoffs? | YES (-650), NO (+450)

Ben Heisler:

If I have Tampa Bay locking up an easy division, there’s not much more to break down here.

The value of -650 isn’t ideal, but unless Brady and the rest of the team gets hurt, it’s difficult to envision a situation where they’re not running away with the NFC South and easily locking in a playoff spot.

The Falcons are in full rebuilding mode, the Panthers are taking the next step in their rebuild with the trade for Sam Darnold, and the Saints have their biggest question mark at the most important position.

I think there’s other places to bet the Buccaneers at WynnBET at better odds, but it’s an unequivocal yes that they’ll be back in the postseason to try and defend their championship.

PREDICTION: YES (-650)

Donnavan Smoot:

Go ahead and lock the Buccaneers into the playoffs.

They should walk easily into a division crown as the rest of the NFC South is in a transition phase. The Saints still have to decide who they want to start at quarterback, although it looks like Jameis Winston will take the job based on the odds. The Panthers are trying to figure out what they have in Sam Darnold and the Falcons are trying to squeeze out the last bits of productivity Matt Ryan has. 

Tampa Bay would be my pick to win the division and even if the Saints (Sorry, Carolina and Atlanta) sneak into a division title, there’s absolutely no way a healthy Tampa Bay misses the playoffs. 

Expect to see the Buccaneers in the postseason to defend their crown. 

PREDICTION: YES (-650)

Peter Dewey: 

Look, Brady has to regress at some point, but it’s not going to happen in 2021 in this division. The Falcons are on the verge of blowing things up and the Saints don’t even know who their quarterback will be. 

If you have faith in Sam Darnold leading the Panthers to a winning season, more power to you, because WynnBET’s interception leader odds and win projections say much differently. 

The point is, the Bucs are going to win the NFC South, and by default earn a playoff spot in 2021. I think they’re going to be one of the best teams in the NFL, but it’s understandable if the 11.5 win projection seems like a big ask. If you’re willing to lay the -650 juice, you’re almost guaranteeing yourself a winner by the start of the postseason. 

PREDICTION: YES (-650)

Iain MacMillan:

Even if you think the Buccaneers are going to take a step back this season, it’s difficult to imagine any other team in the NFC South winning the division, unless Jameis Winston turns into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

The NFC West may eat up the wild card spots in the NFC playoffs, but expect the defending Super Bowl champions to win their division and place themselves in Super Bowl contention once again.

PREDICTION: YES (-650)

Every day from the start of NFL Training Camp, the BetSided team of Ben Heisler, Donnavan Smoot, Peter Dewey and Iain MacMillan are breaking down the win totals, playoff and Super Bowl odds for every team in the NFL.

Check back tomorrow when we preview the betting outlook for the New Orleans Saints.

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