The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the verge of clinching the NFC South title. They hold a one-game lead on the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints with two weeks remaining. They host the Saints in Week 17 and are a field goal favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. If the Bucs win, they’ll clinch the division title. If they lose, they would drop into a tie with the Saints and it would drop to at least the record in common games tiebreaker.
If the Bucs win the division, they’ll be locked in as the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff bracket. If they lose to the Saints, they’ll be keeping an eye on the rest of the wild card field. Here are the games Bucs fans will want to keep an eye on this weekend.
Result: The Bucs got thumped at home by the Saints. New Orleans won 23-23, which means the Bucs need a win in Week 18 or a Saints loss to the Falcons to clinch the division title.
Falcons vs. Bears
Result: The Bears crushed the Falcons. The Falcons can still win the NFC South in Week 18 with a win over the Saints and a Bucs loss to the Panthers.
If the Bucs lose and the Falcons win, we’ll once again have a three-way tie for first in the NFC South. Bucs fans will be rooting for the Bears in this one if the Bucs lose to the Saints. Chicago is a field goal favorite.
Vikings vs. Packers
In the wild card race, the Bucs have beaten both of these teams, so they can root for either of the 7-8 squads. Minnesota is a 1.5-point favorite in the Sunday Night Football matchup.
Rams vs. Giants
Steelers vs. Seahawks
Result: The Rams held off the Giants in a tough one while the Seahawks lost to the Steelers. LA clinched a wild card berth while Seattle dropped to 8-8 but still holds the final wild card berth.
LA and Seattle are both 8-7 and lead the second and third wild card berths. If the Bucs lose to the Saints, they’ll be rooting for the Giants and Steelers. The Rams are a 4.5-point favorite and the Seahawks are a 3.5-point favorite.