Our Official Staff Prediction for Buccaneers at Vikings

Dustin Baker |

Sep 7, 2023

The VikingsTerritory collective staff prediction for Buccaneers at Vikings is ready.

Minnesota can win back-to-back NFC North titles for the first time since 2008-2009 if the 2023 season goes swimmingly.

Our Official Staff Prediction for Buccaneers at Vikings

Tampa Bay lives in most pundits’ bottom tier per power rankings, although the Buccaneers defense remains legitimate with big names like Devin White, Lavonte David, Shaq Barrett, Jamel Dean, Vita Vea, and Antoine Winfield, among others.

The writers at VikingsTerritory predict the Vikings will win their first game of the season.

for Buccaneers — Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

The group unanimously picked the Vikings, evidently confident that the Buccaneers pose no major threat to Minnesota’s homefield advantage.

Here’s how the panel sees the score for Week 1:

Dustin Baker: Vikings Win, 30-10
Sean Borman: Vikings Win, 27-24
Janik Eckardt: Vikings Win, 41-20
Josh Frey: Vikings Win, 27-17
Will Goodwin: Vikings Win, 26-16
Wes Johnson: Vikings Win, 27-20
Kyle Joudry: Vikings Win, 27-17
Adam New: Vikings Win, 31-13
Nathan Porter: Vikings Win, 27-16
Nate Powalie: Vikings Win, 27-17
Ted Schwerzler: Vikings Win, 24-17
Ali Siddiqui: Vikings Win, 30-20
Cole Smith: Vikings Win, 20-7

Mathematically en masse, we predict the Vikings top the Buccaneers by a score of 28-16.

And our season standings for our writers’ predictions last year:

Dustin Baker: 15-3
Adam New: 14-3
Sean Borman: 14-4
Josh Frey: 14-4
Will Goodwin: 13-5
Ted Schwerzler: 13-5
Ali Siddiqui: 13-5
Janik Eckardt: 12-6
Cole Smith: 12-6
Kyle Joudry: 10-8

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports. | Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Last year, Adam New and Dustin Baker led the way via Vikings predictions, accurately choosing the correct outcome in 15 of 18 games.

The Vikings are currently six-point favorites to defeat the Buccaneers in Week 1. Minnesota hasn’t lost a home Week 1 game with fans in attendance since 2005 — when they lost to the Buccaneers.

Somebody Was Out — Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

NFL.com chose Minnesota, too, to defeat Tampa Bay, and Brooke Cersosimo explained, “Kevin O’Connell’s offense, buoyed by a QB playing some of his best football in his mid-30s (Kirk Cousins) and a young WR duo (reigning Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson and first-round pick Jordan Addison), should once again be the star of this year’s team. It’ll be up to new Vikings DC Brian Flores’ unit to ensure games don’t come down to the wire every week. The first test is a Bucs offense in transition, though one that has promise if the ever-erratic Baker Mayfield can limit the turnovers. (The key word: if.).”

Sunday’s game will be Tampa Bay’s first without Tom Brady attached to the roster since 2019.

Also Read:
National Media No Longer Very High on Harrison Smith

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.