Tom Brady meltdown in 2022 season? Bettors place crazy bet on Buccaneers to have NFL's worst record
Tom Brady has 278 career victories and seven championships in his 21 seasons as a starter. He has a .764 percent win-loss record and has never experienced a losing season while on the field. It's safe to say that the quarterback is statistically more inclined to end up in the playoffs than not.
But despite all these numbers, many gamblers are betting against Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this preseason. Out of all the teams in the league, the Buccaneers have the fifth-most money riding on them to have the league's worst record. The top four teams with the most money bet on them to end up with the worst record in the league are the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The two biggest UNDER bets on NFL regular season win totals at @CaesarsSports are both on the Buccaneers.
$18,000 on Bucs under 11.5 (-115)
$13,800 on Bucs under 11.5 (-130)
52.7% of tickets and 84.9% of money are on Bucs under 11.5—5th-most lopsided NFL under bet by money.
Vegas has set the Bucs' predicted wins at 11.5 this season. As for their over/under, Tampa Bay is getting more under bets than any other team in the league, i.e., more people are projecting the Bucs to garner fewer wins than their predicted total than any other team. An astonishing 87.8 percent bettors are on the under.
One bettor placed $250 on the Bucs being the worst team in the league at 450-to-1 odds, netting them a cool $112,500 if that were to happen. If history is any indicator, it is always wise not to bet against Brady, let alone him leading the team to the worst record in the league.
Why are bettors predicting Tom Brady and the Bucs to have the worst record in the league?
Brady and the Buccaneers have had a strange preseason so far. It started with Brady retiring following the 2021 campaign. Barely 40 days later, he changed his mind and returned to the team. Next, long-time head coach Bruce Arians stepped down and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles stepped up to fill the role.
They have also suffered injuries to key players, which has led them to jumble their roster. Their offensive line is running thin. Center Ryan Jensen is likely out for the season. Robert Hainsey will step up in his absence. Guard Aaron Tinnie and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs were also carted off over the past week. Pro Bowl wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are rehabilitating from injuries and could miss Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Brady has also missed nearly two weeks of the preseason due to his family commitments.
This implosion seems to have put off bettors, who once had the Bucs as the favorites to win the Lombardi this season, ahead of the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers.
Regardless of what has transpired, as long as the Buccaneers have Brady, the expectation will be a return to the Super Bowl in the 2022 campaign.