Odds point to Buccaneers signing Philip Rivers

Not long ago, it came out that the Buccaneers have the fifth-best odds to land Tom Brady in the 2020 offseason.

If you think betting odds relating to the team’s quarterback situation are silly, now is the time to look away. You’ve been warned.

OK, so as of now, BetOnline has odds for which team Philip Rivers will be playing with in 2020. And guess what? Tampa Bay has the best odds, coming in at +200.

There has been a lot of talk about a potential match between Rivers and the Bucs over the last few weeks. Many are predicting that the veteran quarterback and longtime Charger will be Tampa-bound in the next couple of months. He did move his family to Florida in January, but the move was to Destin. That’s over six hours from Tampa. Regardless, the rumors have continued to swirl.

Head coach Bruce Arians has spoken positively about Rivers in the past, and Rivers seems to be the kind of quarterback Arians would want. The 38-year-old probably has one or two years left, so he could be a good bridge to fill the gap until the quarterback Tampa Bay presumably drafts in 2020 is ready to go.

Rivers is coming off of a tough year in which he threw 23 touchdowns to 20 interceptions, so on the surface, he may not look like much of an upgrade. That’s why there are plenty of Bucs fans that dismiss him as “a worse version of Jameis Winston.” But that’s not a given by any stretch. After all, he isn’t far removed from a stretch of outstanding seasons:

2013: 4,478 yards, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions

2014: 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, 18 interceptions

2015: 4,792 yards, 29 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

2016: 4,386 yards, 33 touchdowns, 21 interceptions

2017: 4,515 yards, 28 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

2018: 4,308 yards, 32 touchdowns, 12 interceptions

Yes, some of those seasons featured interception totals that would be considered on the higher end. But had Winston put up any of those stat lines in 2019, the Bucs likely make the playoffs and have no quarterback decision to make. Winston would be the guy.

So, with the weapons Tampa Bay has, it’s not hard to imagine Rivers putting 2019 in the past and returning to form to finish off his career the right way. If he’s the Philip Rivers of just two years ago, he can get the Bucs to the playoffs in 2020.

Here are the full betting odds for who Rivers will be playing for in Week 1 of the 2020 season:

Buccaneers +200

Colts +300

Panthers +400

Raiders +400

Dolphins +550

Saints +2000

Titans +2000

Cowboys +3300

Patriots +3300