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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Carolina Panthers in a battle of NFC South rivals. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Buccaneers-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Buccaneers have this division locked up, but they still have plenty to play for here. Tampa Bay still has a shot at securing the first seed in the NFC and the bye week that comes with it. They'll probably need to win out to get that spot, and that starts here. The Panthers, on the other hand, don't have much to play for. They haven't been mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, but there's almost no chance they make it into a wild card spot. Instead, they have the chance to play spoiler to their divisional rival. That's often more than enough motivation, so this should be an interesting contest.
For more insight on the Buccaneers-Panthers matchup in Week 16, listen below:
Here are the odds for the Buccaneers-Panthers game, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Buccaneers-Panthers Odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -10 (-110)
Carolina Panthers: +10 (-110)
Over: 43 (-110)
Under: 43 (-110)
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Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread
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The Panthers seem to have become allergic to the end zone in recent weeks. Carolina hasn't scored more than 21 points in a month, and they've put together two single-digit performances over the course of the season. Quarterback Cam Newton has struggled mightily in almost every game he's started, and he won't improve against one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. The Bucs are also one of the best run defenses in the NFL, only allowing 91 rushing yards per game. It would be a surprise to see the Panthers score more than 14 points in this game.
To make matters even better for the Buccaneers, the Panthers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL at covering the spread. They own a 5-9 record against the spread, and that record gets even worse in games similar to this one. The Panthers are 3-4 ATS as underdogs and 2-5 against the spread when they play at home. This Carolina team is completely unreliable when it comes to covering.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Buccaneers were just shut out by the New Orleans Saints, and now they face a defense that is statistically stronger than the Saints are. The Panthers currently rank as the best pass defense in the NFL, as they allow only 177 passing yards per game. Carolina also only allows six yards per attempt, one of the best numbers in the league. The Buccaneers will be missing wide receiver Chris Godwin here, and fellow receiver Mike Evans is also unlikely to play. Facing the best pass defense in the NFL without your two best pass-catchers isn't a great position to be in, so Bucs quarterback Tom Brady should have some trouble in this game.
Tampa Bay's defense isn't immune to injuries either. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback Richard Sherman both missed Tampa's last game, and both will be questionable at best for this game. Star linebacker Lavonte David left the Saints game with a foot injury and didn't return, so he's another question mark. Carolina has struggled on offense, but facing this weakened Buccaneers defense could be what it takes to keep them in the game.
Final Buccaneers-Panthers Prediction & Pick
This game won't be a blowout. Carolina is too strong defensively to allow that to happen, and Tampa Bay's injuries on defense will help the Panthers out quite a bit. Take Carolina here. The under is also in play.
Final Buccaneers-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Carolina Panthers: +10 (-110)
