The New Orleans Saints are looking to avenge an embarrassing early October loss to the Buccaneers when they stroll into Tampa in Week 17. Raymond James Stadium will play host to a pivotal NFC South showdown between two teams fighting for a coveted playoff spot late in the season. The Saints need to win both of their remaining games to stay alive in the divisional race, so the final road game of the 2023/24 season is crucial.
New Orleans' penultimate divisional duel is set to kick off at noon CT from Tampa, Florida. Fox will carry the regional broadcast with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen on the call.
Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com, is favoring the hosts by 2.5 points with an over/under of 42.5.
Let's take a closer look at the odds and highlight our favorite player prop plays for Saints-Buccaneers:
New Orleans Saints (7-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
Time/TV: Sunday at noon (Fox)
Spread: Buccaneers -2.5
Over/Under: 42.5
Moneyline: Buccaneers -140, Saints +118
PLAYER PROP PICKS
Derek Carr OVER 1.5 passing touchdowns (+114 at Caesars Sportsbook)
A quick peek at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' results would suggest their pass defense isn't as bad as many make it out to be. Todd Bowles' defense has allowed just one quarterback to have a multi-touchdown outing through the air in the last five games. However, they are as bad as advertised. In fact, the Buccaneers are the worst-rated (32nd) pass defense in the entire NFL.
Derek Carr has been frustrating to New Orleans Saints fans this season, but he has found the end zone when healthy. Carr has thrown for 2+ touchdowns in each of the Saints' last three outings. You can get him at +114 to keep the streak rolling against a bad pass defense this afternoon.
Rachaad White anytime touchdown scorer (-125 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Rachaad White has quietly been one of the league's most dynamic playmakers this season. He's racked up almost 1,400 total yards, but he seemingly finds the end zone every week. White has scored either on the ground or through the air in seven of his last eight games.
While he didn't score against New Orleans last time out, his odds as an anytime touchdown scorer are juiced at Caesars Sportsbook for a reason. Oddsmakers are tired of losing money when White scores, so you'll now have to pay up a little bit if you want to win.
Alvin Kamara OVER 4.5 receptions (-121 at Caesars Sportsbook)
As I mentioned earlier, the New Orleans passing attack is going to take center stage in this contest. If this game turns into a high-scoring affair, the Saints will need to utilize all of its weapons on offense. This includes trying to find ways to get the ball into Alvin Kamara's hands.
Kamara has tallied 5+ receptions in over 50% of the games he's played this season (7 of 12). Further, he's registered five or more targets in all but two games. All of this is to say that Pete Carmichael likes to get his star running back involved in the passing game. Kamara likely won't replicate his performance from earlier in the season against the Buccaneers (13 receptions), but I like him to be on the receiving end of a few plays in Tampa.