Buccaneers Winning Super Bowl Would Be 'Worst-Case Scenario' for Sportsbooks

Adam Wells @adamwells1985Featured ColumnistJanuary 6, 2021

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) runs off the field after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers won the game 44-27. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Winning a Super Bowl is a joyous moment for the franchise that hoists the Lombardi Trophy and its fans, but sportsbooks won't be celebrating this year if one team in particular leaves Raymond James Stadium as the NFL champion.

Per ESPN's David Purdum, a victory by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV—which will be held in the Bucs' stadium—is a "worst-case scenario for several bookmakers."

One of the problems for sportsbooks, according to Purdum, is due to a lot of activity that came in on the Buccaneers early in the offseason before they signed Tom Brady and acquired Rob Gronkowski in a trade with the New England Patriots.

Purdum did note that William Hill U.S., an online sportsbook, took a $40,000 bet on the Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl at 12-1 odds on Saturday.

"As of Wednesday morning, it's the second-largest Super Bowl futures wager placed with the bookmaker, behind only a $115,000 bet on the Chiefs that was placed Friday in Nevada," Purdum wrote.

Per DraftKings, the Bucs currently have the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000).

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Tampa is making its first playoff appearance since 2007. The franchise hasn't won a postseason game since winning Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.

The Buccaneers had some inconsistent moments in 2020 but finished the regular season with four straight wins. The offense scored at least 31 points in each of their last three games.

Tampa Bay will play the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET in the NFC Wild Card Round.

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