Monday night features an NFC South showdown in a tight division race
New York Giants fans had to hear about the NFC least for years when jokingly talking about the division. It looks like there is a new division that will take that crown as the New Orleans Saints take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game of sub-.500 teams still hoping to claim the NFC South crown.
While the New Orleans Saints lost in week two against the Buccaneers it is still a matchup they have owned overall. The Saints have won seven of the last eight regular-season matchups and have won four out of five since Tampa Bay joined the Buccaneers in 2020. The Saints are led by running back Alvin Kamara who only needs 56 more yards from scrimmage to get to his sixth straight 1,000-yard season. The Buccaneers come in 20th against the run, so Kamara has a good shot at hitting that mark. Chris Olave leads all rookies in receptions and receiving yards while also leading the Saints in those categories. The Buccaneers boast a top-10 pass defense so we should see some exciting battles in the secondary.
This season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay led by retired then un-retired quarterback Tom Brady had deep play aspirations coming into the season. It looks like now they are just going to be in a battle to make the playoffs sitting at 5-6. The Buccaneers still have the 5th best pass offense in the NFL with plenty of weapons surrounding Tom Brady in the passing game that has helped Brady lead the NFC in passing yards. The Saints normally matchup well coming in at seventh against the pass and are still waiting to hear if Marshon Lattimore will return to the lineup. Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has had plenty of altercations with the Saint’s corner over the years and will provide some fireworks when those two line up across from each other.
How to watch
What: New Orleans Saints (4-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)
When: Monday, Dec. 5
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Game time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters (field reporter)
Radio: National Radio: Westwood One; Sirius channels: 81 (Saints), 83 (Buccaneers), 88 (National); XM channels: 226 (Saints), 225 (Buccaneers), 88 (National)
Online streaming: Fubo | NFL Game Pass (Free trial)
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds: Buccaneers -3.0
Referee: Clay Martin