Panthers vs. Buccaneers Point Spread: NFL Week 13 Odds, Prediction
The Carolina Panthers have seemingly had enough as they remain occupied in last place in the league ahead of their divisional matchup at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. All it took was 11 games from Carolina to move on from head coach Frank Reich who the team let go Monday along with assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. Special teams coach Chris Tabor is the Panthers interim head coach.
While the 1-10 Panthers are all but finished when it comes to playoff hopes, the 4-7 Buccaneers still have a shot. Tampa Bay took a tough defeat last weekend at Indianapolis but remain one game back of the division lead with four divisional games left on the slate, including two against Carolina.
Kickoff at Raymond James Stadium gets started at 4:05 p.m. EST and the home Buccaneers come in as a 5.5-point favourite and the over-under at 37 on the NHL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Under bettors have found their game of the week. Both the Panthers and Buccaneers are 8-3 to the Under this season which is right at the top of the league for the most Unders. But head-to-head the Over has connected in five of the last seven Panthers–Bucs meetings. Tampa Bay’s reached at least 30 points in five of their last six battles with Carolina but both teams come in averaging under 20 points a game this season.
Tampa Bay’s also 5-1 both outright and against the spread in their last six games against Carolina, and home field advantage has come in clutch as the Panthers have a single win in their last six trips to Tampa Bay.
Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young, this year’s first overall pick/Carolina’s new starting quarterback, isn’t blaming his rookie struggles on the departed Frank Reich’s coaching. Instead Young’s taking on the blame for averaging under 200 yards and less than one touchdown a game in his 10 starts this season.
The Panthers had a Week 7 bye, and since then they’ve yet to go over 15 points in five straight games. Young has reached 200 yards once, and Carolina hasn’t had a rusher hit 60 yards in that span either. The complete bust of a free agent signing in Miles Sanders is someone this team can point the finger at though. Sanders carried the ball 15 times for 28 yards last week and is averaging just over three yards a carry this season. If Carolina’s to improve, Sanders is a veteran who has to be better.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is battling through an ankle injury suffered last weekend but as of Wednesday he appears to be a go for this week, practising in full. Mayfield’s kept the Bucs competitive in several instances this season. Last weekend, albeit injured, Baker wasn’t at his best and the Bucs dropped a key game.
The recipe for Mayfield’s and this Bucs’ offence success appears to just be to give Mike Evans the football. The now-underrated superstar receiver hauled in another two scores on six catches for 70 yards last week. Evans is one touchdown shy of double digits on the season, and 150 yards back of 1,000 on the year.
On an injury note, Lavonte David (groin), Carlton Davis (ankle), and Jamel Dean (ankle/foot) are all on Tampa’s injury report and worth monitoring as the week progresses.
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