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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to take on the Carolina Panthers in an NFL Sunday afternoon matchup in Charlotte. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Buccaneers-Panthers prediction and pick, laid out below.
Tampa Bay is unwillingly stuck in the middle of the Tom Brady-Gisele drama, going a disappointing 3-3. Todd Bowles has taken over for the semi-retired Bruce Arians, bringing a strong reputation as a defensive coordinator. Still, Tampa Bay is in first place in the NFC South.
Carolina has gone a miserable 1-5 this season, becoming the first team in the league to fire their head coach. Now, Steve Wilks, the former Arizona Cardinals head coach, is the interim head coach, losing his first game at the helm for Carolina. This may be a lost season already for the Panthers.
Here are the Buccaneers-Panthers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Buccaneers-Panthers Odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -13.5 (-105)
Carolina Panthers: +13.5 (-115)
Over: 38.5 (-114)
Under: 38.5 (-104)
Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread
Tom Brady may not be pleased with the play of his teammates, but Brady has been great to start the season. The veteran has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,652 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception. Leonard Fournette leads the team with 343 rushing yards and a touchdown. Fournette has taken 72 percent of the team's carries. Rachaad White has scored the team's only other rushing touchdown. Fournette also leads the team with 32 catches and three receiving touchdowns, totaling 232 yards. Mike Evans leads the team with 358 receiving yards and three touchdowns, hauling in 24 catches. Russell Gage and Breshad Perriman have each caught a touchdown pass as well. Tampa Bay has scored 20.2 points per game, which ranks twentieth in the league.
Tampa Bay's defense has been lights out, allowing just 17.2 points per game, which ranks fifth in the league. Devin White leads the team with 48 tackles and three sacks, breaking up four passes, forcing a fumble, and recording five tackles for a loss. Antoine Winfield, Jr. is tied for the team lead with three sacks. Jamel Dean leads the team with two interceptions, while four other Bucs have recorded one interception each. Mike Edwards returned his interception for a touchdown.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Carolina is in a pinch at quarterback, with Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and PJ Walker all injured. Jacob Eason appeared at the end of their loss to Los Angeles, going 3-5 with an interception. Walker has officially been named the starter for week seven. In his two games, Walker has thrown for 120 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Christian McCaffrey leads the team with 393 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while also leading with 33 catches for 277 yards and a touchdown. No wonder he will be coveted on the trade market. Carolina ranks 27th with 17.2 points scored per game.
Carolina has kept their opponents to 24.3 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the league. Shaq Thompson leads the team with 39 tackles, including two for a loss. Brian Burns leads the team with four sacks and six tackles for loss. Carolina has totaled nine sacks this season. Four different Panthers have intercepted a pass, with Frankie Luvu and Donte Jackson each returning theirs for a touchdown.
Final Buccaneers-Panthers Prediction & Pick
This is a near no-brainer considering the Carolina quarterback situation.
Final Buccaneers-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Tampa Bay -13.5 (-105), over 38.5 (-114)
