The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off on Sunday in an NFL showdown at Raymond James Stadium. Let’s look at the betting matchup and give a free Panthers vs Buccaneers prediction.
Is Bryce Young the Answer for the Panthers?
The Panthers have to be questioning at this point if they made the wrong choice drafting Bryce Young. Last Sunday, the Panthers faced off against the Tennessee Titans, and they were defeated 17-10. Young completed 18 of his 31 passes for 194 yards. On the season Young has thrown for 1,877 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He sometimes looks lost on the NFL field and they need him to start taking a step forward. The Panthers are averaging 15.7 points while their defense is giving up 26.5 points per game. Tight end Hayden Hurst is dealing with a concussion and he’s questionable for this game.
Panthers Betting Trends
- The Panthers have lost eight of their last nine road games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven games against NFC opponents.
- The Panthers have won the first quarter in four of their last five games as road underdogs against the Buccaneers.
- The Panthers have lost the first half in each of their last six Sunday games.
- The Panthers have scored the first touchdown in four of their last five games against the Buccaneers.
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Must Win for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers play in a subpar NFC South, but they only have four wins, so this is a must win for them. In the last game against the Indianapolis Colts, the defense was awful giving up 27 points and they ended up losing by seven points. Baker Mayfield completed 20 of his 30 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The Buccaneers on the season is averaging 19.3 points while their defense is giving up 20.7 points per game. The defense hasn’t been terrible overall this season, but the offense is ranked 23rd. Mayfield is dealing with an ankle injury but he’s expected to be able to go in this game.
Bucs Betting Trends
- The Buccaneers have lost seven of their last 10 December games as home favorites against NFC opponents.
- The favorites have covered the spread in seven of the Buccaneers' last eight games at Raymond James Stadium.
- The Buccaneers have lost the first quarter in four of their last five games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Buccaneers have won the first half in each of their last four games against teams that held a losing record.
- Seven of the Buccaneers' last eight games as favorites following a loss have gone UNDER the total points line.
Panthers vs Buccaneers Betting Prediction
The Buccaneers haven’t had a whole lot of success this season, but they are in this game. Bryce Young has been awful this season and it’s not going to get any easier in this game against the Buccaneers defense. Baker Mayfield has been inconsistent, but he’s going to have one of his bigger games here, and that is going to be the difference here as Tampa Bay is going to get the job done. Back the Buccaneers against the spread.