Naturally, someone had to win the NFC South this year, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have proven themselves most formidable.

Finishing the campaign with a 9-8 record, Tampa Bay won five of their last six games to earn the division title. It is worth mentioning, of all teams to qualify for the playoffs this season, the Bucs started the campaign with the second-longest Super Bowl odds (+7500) at FanDuel Sportsbook; only the Houston Texans began 2023 with a longer price in the big-game market.

With the postseason seeding solidified, the Buccaneers are officially hosting the spiraling Philadelphia Eagles. Serving as the final game of Super Wild Card Weekend, Birds-Bucs will kick off Monday evening.

Ultimately, as the NFC's 4 seed, there's a weird world where Tampa can get to the Super Bowl without having to play a road game. Still, unless upsets are rampant in the opening round, that more than likely will not be the case.

Let's dive into the Bucs' chances at winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl Odds

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

• +5500 to Win Super Bowl LVIII (12th-best)
• Super Bowl win probability, per numberFire: 0.4% (12th-best)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Conference Championship Odds

• +3300 (6th-best)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Statistical Recap and Analysis

Data and stats via numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics.

• Offensive Rankings
  • Rushing: 27th
  • Passing: 10th
  • Overall: 12th
• Defensive Rankings
  • Rushing: 5th
  • Passing: 22nd
  • Overall: 15th

Why The Buccaneers Could Win It All

Undoubtedly, Tampa Bay was streaky in 2023, but there was plenty that they did well. Somewhat surprisingly, Baker Mayfield emerged as a top-10 quarterback, ranking seventh in passing TDs and ninth in yardage.

Mayfield has established a productive rapport with future Hall-of-Fame wideout Mike Evans. At 1,255 receiving yards this year, Evans posted his highest number since 2018; yes, that includes all of his time with the legendary Tom Brady.

Fortunately for West Central Florida, the Buccaneers still employ much of their Super Bowl-winning defense from a few seasons ago. Stout up the middle, they are especially tough on opposing running games. With gamewreckers like Vita Vea, Lavonte David, Joe Tryon and Devin White, Tampa has allowed just 95.3 yards per game (3.8 YPC) on the ground.

Entering Wild Card Weekend, the Bucs will also benefit from playing against a team that is currently going through an identity crisis. Notably, the Eagles have lost five of six games leading into the playoffs. They are the first franchise in the Super Bowl era to do that while still qualifying for the postseason.

Philly offensive stars Jalen Hurts (finger), A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (ankle) have all suffered injuries over the past two weeks. To make matters worse, safety Sydney Brown tore his ACL in the Eagles' Week 18 loss to the New York Giants. All things considered, does that open the door for Tampa Bay to catapult into the divisional round?

Why The Buccaneers Might Fall Short

The Bucs may have an advantageous matchup this weekend (showing as a 2.5-point home underdog versus Philadelphia at FanDuel Sportsbook), but that will more than likely halt if they advance further.

If there are no other upsets in the Wild Card round, a win for Tampa would send them to Santa Clara to take on the San Francisco 49ers. Over the past two seasons, the Bucs have twice traveled west to Levi's Stadium, losing both bids by a combined score of 62-21.

I mentioned that Tampa Bay was incredibly stingy when it comes to defending the run, but they lack any running game of their own. In 2023, they failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the eighth straight year, so lack of ground production is something they have become accustomed to.

Still, the fact that the Buccaneers finished dead last in rushing this year (88.8 yards per game) is major cause for concern. As one of the oldest adages of playoff/deep-winter football, controlling the clock and tempo with a respectable ground game is paramount.

Another trouble spot for Tampa Bay, the defensive backfield left some to be desired this year. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is still quite the intuitive player in center field, but this is a unit that allowed 23 scores through the air, which landed them in the bottom half of the league.

Final Verdict

Other than the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, no team in this year's playoffs has won a title more recently than Tampa Bay. Either way, head coach Todd Bowles is looking for his first Super Bowl since taking over for Bruce Arians. With some key pieces still in place for the Bucs (mostly in the defensive front), Tampa could sneak up on the competition.

All things considered, the oddsmakers and experts are not expecting too much noise from the Buccaneers this postseason. Out of 14 eligible teams, Tampa Bay is currently yielding the 3rd-longest odds (+5500 at FanDuel Sportsbook) to go the distance. At this point, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are the only teams viewed as less likely to be named champions.

The Buccaneers have either won the Super Bowl or NFC South in each of the past four seasons. Genuinely, the presence of veteran leadership and players who have deep playoff experience can go a long way for this group. Still, with Mayfield playing at a solid level, how far can Tampa go?

Hey, it's the NFL after all. The only thing you can do is take it one week at a time.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.