Buccaneers vs Panthers NFL Preview: TB in Must Win Spot
Tampa Bay's Playoff Hopes on the Line
All that stands in the way of Tampa Bay winning a third straight NFC South division title is Carolina. It’s a game the Buccaneers should win. But the Panthers aren’t going down without a fight, covering three of their last five games. Carolina gave Tampa Bay a battle last month in a 21-18 Buccaneers victory. The Panthers will be looking for payback and to knock the Bucs out of the playoffs. The Buccaneers vs Panthers NFL preview shows Tampa Bay is favored by 4.5 points, and the total on the game is at 37.5.
Buccaneers vs Panthers 
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Day/Time:
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Bucs Down to Final Shot to Win Division
Tampa Bay could have won the division title last week. But New Orleans had other ideas, and the Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with a 23-13 victory. Tampa Bay did itself in with four turnovers, as New Orleans led 20-0 after three quarters. The Bucs tried to mount a comeback and made the final a bit more respectable. Tampa Bay entered the game +10 in turnovers for the season but finished -4 in the game.
Tampa Bay’s offense has been pretty average, which isn’t bad, as the Bucs have no running game to speak of. The Buccaneers are averaging 21.2 points per game against teams, allowing 21.4 points. Tampa Bay is gaining just 87.3 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry. The Bucs haven’t been able to put teams away by running the ball and milking the clock. Baker Mayfield has done a pretty solid job at quarterback. Tampa Bay averages 231.1 passing yards per game and 6.9 yards per pass attempt against teams, allowing 6.4 yards per pass.
Defensively, Tampa Bay is allowing 20.3 points a game against teams averaging 22.3 points. The Bucs have been solid against the run, allowing 3.8 yards per carry and 93.1 yards per game. Tampa Bay’s pass defense has been suspect, allowing 260.3 yards per game and 7.0 yards per pass attempt. The Bucs have been tough to score against despite allowing some yards. Tampa Bay allows one point for every 17.4 yards surrendered to teams who score a point for every 15.2 yards gained.
Panthers Out to Play Spoiler
It’s been a long season in Carolina. The Panthers will watch the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft go to the Chicago Bears after winning just twice this season. Carolina is a league-worst 4-10-2 against the point spread. The NFL game results show Carolina has lost a league-high eight games by double-digits. They’ve been bad, and without a first-round draft pick, they will probably be bad next season. Just not as bad.
The Panthers are averaging just 14.8 points per game against teams that have allowed an average of 21.4 points. The rushing game has been close to average, gaining 102.4 yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry. But the passing attack has been dismal. Carolina averages 167.1 yards per game and just 4.7 yards per pass attempt after factoring in the 62 sacks allowed.
The Panthers aren’t that bad defensively. Carolina allows fewer than 300 total yards defensively, but is last in the league in defensive yards per point. That’s due to the offense not moving the ball and the team being -6 in turnovers for the year. The Panthers are average at stopping the run and pretty solid against the pass.
What to Expect
The Buccaneers vs Panthers NFL preview expects the Bucs to come out and try to hit some short passes. Tampa Bay doesn’t run the ball enough to take advantage of Carolina’s average rushing defense. Mayfield’s game is throwing the short and medium passes. You don’t want him throwing deep consistently.
The Panthers will look to throw the ball, figuring they have nothing to lose here. All of the pressure should be on Tampa Bay. Carolina needs to take some sort of momentum into the offseason, and a nice game by Young would go a long way towards accomplishing that.
Who to Bet On?
The Buccaneers vs Panthers NFL preview notes the point spread appears to be a bit low. But Tampa Bay was just favored by four points at home on Dec. 3. So this line isn’t as short as it may appear at a glance. The total in that game was 36.5, so there’s been little change there. The Bucs are likely to be a popular play in the NFL picks against the spread, as they look to book their spot on the NFL playoff schedule. But it’s never easy to be on the same side as the masses.
The total on the game is a bit of a tough call. The Panthers have scored nine points or less in three of their last four games. But they scored 30 points in the other. However, both teams have been strong under teams this year. The Bucs are 6-10 in totals, while the Panthers are 5-11. But one of their overs was the game they met on Dec. 3. Teams who were shutout their last game have responded with a 5-1 total record this season, so will follow suit and take the over 37.5 in this one.
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