The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the highest expectations for the 2020 NFL season of any team that missed the playoffs. After signing Tom Brady in free agency and trading for Rob Gronkowski, the Bucs find themselves among the top Super Bowl contenders.

FanDuel Sportsbook gives Tampa Bay the fifth-best Super Bowl LV odds at +1500. They are behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (+650), Baltimore Ravens (+700), San Francisco 49ers (+900) and New Orleans Saints (+1200), all of whom won at least 13 games last year.

Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 season when Brad Johnson was the starting quarterback. The Buccaneers haven’t won a single playoff game since that title. Brady has won 27 postseason games during that span.

New Orleans is a -110 favorite to win its fourth straight NFC South championship. Tampa Bay isn’t far behind with +160 odds. The Atlanta Falcons (+700) and Carolina Panthers (+1400) are long shots in the division.

The Saints finished six games ahead of the Buccaneers in 2019. New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay in both of their head-to-head matchups.

The Buccaneers are -280 favorites to make the playoffs with either a wild-card berth or a division title. Tampa Bay is given +215 odds to miss the postseason completely.

The 2007 season was the last time the Bucs reached the playoffs. Tampa Bay went 9-7 in 2016 for its only winning record of the last nine years.

The betting odds suggest the Buccaneers will record double-digit wins in 2020. Tampa Bay’s projected win total is 9.5, and the team has -135 odds to go over. The Bucs have +115 odds to win nine games or fewer.

Jameis Winston led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards and 30 interceptions last season, starting every game as Tampa Bay’s quarterback. The Bucs finished fourth in points scored. Only three teams allowed more points than Tampa Bay.

Brady and the New England Patriots went 12-4 in 2019. The six-time Super Bowl champion has won at least 10 games in each of his last 16 seasons, excluding 2008 when he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.

Quarterback Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots after 20 years with the NFL giants
Quarterback Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots after 20 years with the NFL giants GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Maddie Meyer
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