Buccaneers’ 2014 Win Total Odds
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers be a sleeper playoff contender in 2014 after overhauling their coaching staff in the offseason?
This offseason was a busy one for the Bucs, who fired coach Greg Schiano and replaced him with the respected Lovie Smith, who brought the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006. The team also fired coordinators Mike Sullivan and Bill Sheridan, and replaced them with Jeff Tedford (offensive coordinator) and Leslie Frazier (defensive coordinator), respectively.
The Bucs were also active in free agency, signing quarterback Josh McCown, center Evan Dietrich-Smith, defensive end Michael Johnson, offensive tackle Anthony Collins, and cornerback Alterraun Verner, who should all start. The team also added roster depth in receivers Louis Murphy and Lavelle Hawkins, as well as defensive backs Mike Jenkins and Major Wright.
Among the team’s offseason losses were Dan Orlovsky, Tiquan Underwood, Gabe Carimi, Davin Joseph and cornerback Darrelle Revis, who was released and subsequently signed with the Patriots.
In the draft the Bucs added to their receiving corps with the selections of first-rounder Mike Evans from Texas A&M and second-rounder Austin Seferian-Jenkins from Washington. In the third-round, the team took West Virginia running back Charles Sims and in the fifth they took guard Kadeem Edwards from Tennessee State.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Bucs’ win total for 2014 has been set at 7. Assuming McCown wasn’t just a product of Marc Trestman’s offense in Chicago last year, the Bucs could win 8 or 9 games this season as Smith stabilizes things across the board. Tampa Bay certainly has enough talent to play .500 ball this season and with the Panthers likely to take a step back and the Falcons having major defensive issues, I like the over.
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