Having Tom Brady on your team breeds expectations, not only internally but externally as well. By now, the Bucs certainly know that.

After posting a franchise-record 13 wins in 2021, Tampa Bay is hoping for a return to the Super Bowl in 2022. The oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook currently have the team on the right path to do so. As of right now, the Bucs are favorites in 15 of 16 games, with odds unavailable for one other matchup.

Bucs LT Donovan Smith – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay is the favorite even in its biggest games, including those against the Dallas, New Orleans, Green Bay, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams. The one game that the Bucs aren’t favored in is a bit of a surprise. Their Week 14 matchup against the 49ers in San Francisco is currently a pick ’em.

Odds for the team’s Week 12 game in Cleveland are currently unavailable on DraftKings. That’s likely due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Deshaun Watson situation. Regardless, it’s fair to imagine that the Bucs would be favorites in that game as well, regardless of whether it’s Watson or Baker Mayfield under center for the Browns.

The largest spread in favor of the Bucs comes in Week 5, when they host the Falcons. They’re currently 10.5-point favorites in that game, while being 9.5-point favorites for their game against the Seahawks in Germany. The smallest spread in Tampa Bay’s favor is 1.5 points, which comes in Week 9 against the Rams. Brady and Co. have lost three straight games to the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, most recently losing to them in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in January.

It’s somewhat surprising to see the Bucs as favorites in every big game, including both meetings with the Saints. New Orleans has beaten Tampa Bay in seven straight regular season games. Yet, the defending NFC South champions are four-point favorites in Week 2 on the road and 6.5-point favorites in Week 13 at home. DraftKings currently has the over/under for the Bucs’ 2022 win total set at 11.5.