Buccaneers vs Saints Expert Picks & Predictions for Week 2 NFL Game

The 2022 NFL season is finally here and the Week 2 schedule is chock full of exciting showdowns. One of the most anticipated matchups of the week is a tilt between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

The Buccaneers weren't challenged much in their season opener, defeating the Dallas Cowboys by a final score of 19-3. Meanwhile, the Saints also started their season 1-0, scoring a 27-26 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.

As NFC South rivals, the Bucs and Saints are no strangers to one another. However, it's been New Orleans that's won seven of the last eight meetings — including both in 2021. Does Tampa Bay have what it takes to turn things around in its favor?

Here's what projection models and experts across the industry have to say about the Buccaneers vs Saints Week 2 matchup. 

Buccaneers vs Saints Projections

ESPN FPI: Buccaneers (69.3%)
numberFire: Saints (50.8%)
FiveThirtyEight: Buccaneers (58%)
Betting Favorite: Buccaneers (-2.5)

Projected Winner: Buccaneers (3), Saints (1)

Buccaneers vs Saints Expert Picks

ESPN Experts: Saints (6), Buccaneers (4)
Sports Illustrated Experts: Buccaneers (3), Saints (2)
CBS Sports Experts: Saints (6), Buccaneers (1)

Expert Totals: Saints (14), Buccaneers (8)

While the projections slightly favor the Buccaneers, experts have a clear-cut favorite. A total of 63.6% of experts are favoring a Saints victory in Week 2. 

Interestingly enough, the Saints' best chance of winning comes in at 50.8% on numberFire. Nevertheless, that's only slightly better than a 50/50 chance of winning, meaning the highlight projections don't have much faith in New Orleans.

As with most rivalry games, fans can expect some intensity when the two NFC South foes meet. While the Saints are favored among experts, you can never count out a Tom Brady-led team.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.