Buccaneers NFL Playoff Odds: Tampa Bay Needs Help to Win NFC South Entering Week 18

Iain MacMillan | 2 Hours Ago

The Buccaneers are now underdogs to win the NFC South. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in firm control of the NFC South at the halfway mark of the season, but a 1-7 skid has caused them to be in a dire situation entering the final week of the season. Not only do they have to beat the Panthers on Saturday afternoon, but other games across the NFL have gone against them, which means they also need help from another division rival.

The Buccaneers would win the NFC South if they finish with the same record as the Panthers after beating them on Saturday due to having the advantage in a head-to-head divisional tiebreaker. The problem is, the Atlanta Falcons have won three games in a row, including a big upset win on Monday night, which means if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday and the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday, there would be a three-way tie atop the division.

In that scenario, the Panthers would be in based on the three-team tiebreaker, which would be the best head-to-head record in the games amongst the three tied teams. The Panthers would be at 3-1 since they swept the Falcons this year, while the Buccaneers would be at 2-2, splitting their season series with Atlanta. Unfortunately for Falcons fans, this is why they're already mathematically eliminated, as their 1-3 record against the Buccaneers and Panthers this season would eliminate them in a three-way tie.

All of that to say that the Buccaneers have to beat the Panthers on Saturday and then root for the underdog Saints to beat the Falcons on Sunday. The Buccaneers are -142 favorites against Carolina, but the Saints are +136 underdogs to the Falcons on Sunday.

That leaves the Buccaneers as +300 underdogs at DraftKings to win the NFC South, an implied probability of 25%. Tampa Bay fans will have to do the unthinkable and cheer for their divisional rival on Sunday, but first things first, they have to try to get past the feisty Panthers in the first game of the Week 18 slate.

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