Will the New Orleans Saints win their fourth NFC South division title in a row? Or will Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first NFC South crown since 2007? The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas released an update for all NFL division odds. The Saints are now better than even money at 10/11 odds to win the NFC South, while the Bucs are 5/4 odds to win the NFC South and end a 13-year divisional drought.
In 2002, the NFL realigned divisions and the NFC South was born. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South three times in the first six seasons between 2002 and 2007. The Bucs have been shutout since then, but are looking at their best chance to win the division in over 13 years.
2020 NFC SOUTH ODDS
New Orleans Saints 10/11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5/4
Atlanta Falcons 12/1
Carolina Panthers 20/1
For a five-year stretch between 2012 and 2016, either the Carolina Panthers or Atlanta Falcons won the NFC South.
Running back Todd Gurley joins the Atlanta Falcons, who haven’t been the same since blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51. The Falcons went 7-9 last season.
The Carolina Panthers rebooted the team. They fired “Riverboat” Ron Rivera and hired Baylor head coach, Matt Rhule. The Panthers also parted ways with Cam Newton, signing Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year contract.
Last Shot for Brees?
Drew Brees, 41, isn’t getting any younger. At this point in his career, every season could be his last. That means this could again be the last season that the Saints have a chance to win a Super Bowl with Brees and head coach Sean Payton. The 2009 Saints won their only Super Bowl victory, but they’ve whiffed in the decade since their glorious moment.
Brees, the all-time NFL touchdown leader, injured his thumb in the second week of the 2019 season. He missed five starts, but backup QB Teddy Bridgewater did a remarkable job, going 5-0 as a starter. Brees returned and didn’t skip a beat for the remainder of the regular season as the Saints finished 13-3.
The Saints let Bridgewater walk in free agency and the Carolina Panthers snatched him up. Taysom Hill, the Saints’ Swiss Army Knife, will continue to be the third QB on the roster. Jameis Winston joins the Saints as Brees’ backup and potential future QB.
Brees walked back controversial comments about other players kneeling during the national anthem. After a team meeting and long talks with his teammates, Brees realized his misconceptions about NFL players trying to shed awareness about police brutality.
Politics aside, Brees had always been a popular teammate. However, in these divisive and politically-charged times, who knows if the team will come together or be torn apart due to recent events.
The Westgate SuperBook lists the Saints at 10/1 odds to win the 2021 Super Bowl.
Brady Bucs Bunch
Last season, Tampa’s owner coaxed Bruce Arians out of retirement to coach the Bucs. Arians went 7-9 with a team that could stretch the field vertically and put up points, but which had an awful defense. The Bucs went 2-4 last season against NFC South foes.
This season, the Bucs added Brady and, subsequently, an unretired Rob Gronkowski to the mix. The Bucs already had a strong collection of wide receivers with Mike Evans (8 TD and 1,157 yards) and Chris Godwin (9 TD and 1,333 yards). Brady might not have comparable arm strength to Jameis Winston, but he definitely has the ability to throw significantly fewer interceptions (Brady’s 8 picks vs Winston’s 30).
Gronk, one of the favorites for NFL Comeback Player of the Year, joins a triumvirate with former first-round pick OJ Howard and Harvard alum Cameron Brate that might be the deepest group of tight ends in the league.
In March, the Bucs jumped to 16/1 odds on the news that Brady joined the team after signing a wicked-huge free-agent deal worth $50 million. Since mid-March, a steady stream of money from bettors backing the Bucs to win the Super Bowl has moved the odds from 16/1 to 10/1.
