The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kick off the post-Tom Brady era on Sept. 10 (1 p.m. ET) at the defending NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. While many have pegged the Vikings as a prime regression candidate, much of last season’s 13-win team returns.
Who has the edge in Week 1? Read on as we break down some intriguing bets and offer our prediction.
Buccaneers vs Vikings Odds
NFL odds used for this Tampa Bay vs Minnesota preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Vikings (-270) • Buccaneers (+220)
- Spread: Vikings -6.5 (-110) • Buccaneers +6.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 45.5 (-108) • Under 45.5 (-112)
- Implied Score: Vikings 26, Buccaneers 19.5
Buccaneers vs Vikings Predictions
Score Pick: Vikings 27, Buccaneers 13
No Brady spells big trouble for the Buccaneers. Not that anyone’s surprised by this. The Buccaneers feel like a team that knows it will be bad. Instead of searching for a viable replacement, Tampa Bay signed Baker Mayfield to an incentive-laden one-year deal.
Projected for just 6.5 wins, tied for the second-lowest total in the NFL, the Buccaneers are counting down the days until next year’s draft.
Conversely, Minnesota is in a much more favorable spot after a season in which it went 13-4 and won another NFC North title. The Vikings were certainly fortuitous — an NFL-record 11 of those wins came by one score — leaving many to wonder if they’ll regress in 2023. But they have an opportunity to get off to a fast start at home against an opponent clearly in transition.
Buccaneers vs Vikings Best Bets & Props
Vikings -6.5 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Even if you’re down on Minnesota’s chances to win the NFC North again, the Vikings are still markedly better than Tampa Bay. Then again, so is most of the NFL. Minnesota should again be formidable offensively, with Kirk Cousins airing it out to Justin Jefferson, rookie first-rounder Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, assuming the Pro Bowl tight end is healthy after missing three weeks with an ear infection.
One knock against the Vikings is they have a habit of playing to the level of their competition. But being at home helps. They were 8-1 at U.S. Bank Stadium last season. I’m taking the Vikings to cover 6.5 points as my NFL bet of the day.
Buccaneers Under 19.5 (-112)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Mayfield is now on his third team since Cleveland traded him a year ago. He played well during a brief stint with the Rams, well enough to beat out 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask for the starting job in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers’ offense remains in flux, as does the rest of the roster.
While the Vikings were shoddy defensively in 2022, allowing an average of 25.1 points per game, the Buccaneers’ new cast doesn’t inspire much confidence. Expect them to struggle on the road.
Under 45.5 (-112)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Minnesota would need to do much of the heavy lifting here, but I’m not confident in Tampa Bay’s ability to consistently move the ball with Mayfield. Mayfield’s 66 interceptions are the most of any quarterback since 2018 when Cleveland drafted him first overall.
He also reportedly struggled taking care of the ball in training camp, though he chalked it up to communication issues. Regardless, that doesn’t bode well, especially when factoring in the changes along the offensive line and at running back.
This total is too high for my liking.
Buccaneers vs Vikings Same Game Parlay
Buccaneers vs Vikings SGP (+145)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
- Vikings -6.5 (-115)
- Vikings Over 26.5 (-110)
There shouldn’t be any concerns about the Vikings’ ability to score. They replaced Adam Thielen with a younger, more dynamic downfield threat to complement Jefferson, who is coming off a 1,800-yard season. While I’m confident in Minnesota’s ability to win, the moneyline isn’t offering great value at -270.
Therefore, I’m taking Minnesota to cover the spread. Rather handily, in fact.
