The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-11) will travel to take on the Carolina Panthers (4-8-1) looking to snap their three-game losing streak. Players will take the field Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET and the game will air on FOX.
Carolina and Tampa Bay last met in Week 1, when the Panthers put in another dominant performance and beat the Buccaneers 20-14. Carolina has won three straight against the Buccaneers, going back to the 2013 season. Greg Olsen had a standout performance the last time they met, recording eight receptions for 83 yards and one TD. Gerald McCoy led the way for the Tampa Bay defense, registering eight tackles and one sack.
The Buccaneers are a five-point underdog against the Panthers and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 41 points. Sitting at 4-8-1 Straight Up (SU) and 7-6 Against The Spread (ATS), the Panthers will look to improve as they head into Week 15. In their five most recent matchups, the Panthers went 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS. Carolina has kept their running game going like a well oiled machine lately, averaging 153.2 rushing yards during its last five matchups. During their last five games, the Panthers have also done a better job of keeping their opponents from running the ball, only giving up an average of 82.4 rushing yards. One of the keys to the game will be if the Buccaneers can protect the ball against the takeaway vultures of the Panthers, whose defense ranks fourth in the league with two turnovers per home game. Tampa Bay will want to stay out of the referees’ crosshairs this week to avoid giving the game away to the Panthers. The Buccaneers are one of the most penalized in the league with 8.2 flags per game.
In the other locker room, the Buccaneers have a record of 5-8 ATS and 2-11 SU. The Buccaneers went 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS over the last five games. Carolina will be matching up against a stout Buccaneers defense which has been playing better. They only allow 20 PPG over their last five matchups, well below their season average of 26.8. Over the last five games, the Buccaneers have turned it up on the defensive side of the football, allowing an average of 192.2 passing yards per game. They are trending in the right direction from their 249.5 season average. The Panthers need to recognize the importance of securing the ball against the turnover-minded Buccaneers. The defense ranks second in the league in turnovers with 2.1 per road game.
Predictions: SU Winner – CAR, ATS Winner – CAR, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Carolina’s last 11 games.
Tampa Bay is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games.
Carolina is 1-6-1 SU in its last 8 games,.
Tampa Bay is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games.
Carolina is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games at home.
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Carolina’s last 8 games at home.
Tampa Bay is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Carolina.
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Tampa Bay is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Carolina.
Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Carolina.
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay’s last 14 games when playing on the road against Carolina.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Carolina’s last 14 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina.
Tampa Bay is 1-3 SU when leading at the half this season. Carolina is 3-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Tampa Bay is 1-3 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Carolina is 3-0-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
This season, Tampa Bay is 1-2 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and winless (0-6 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Carolina is 4-0-1 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle this year, and 0-6 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
Carolina is winless (0-7 SU) this season when allowing at least 3 sacks in a game. The Tampa Bay defense is averaging 3.2 sacks over its last five games.
The Tampa Bay defense has forced an average of 2.2 turnovers per game this season. Carolina is just 1-4 SU when turning the ball over at least 2 times in a game.
Dating back to last season, Carolina is 7-3 SU against NFC South opponents, while Tampa Bay is just 1-9 SU against division foes.
When it comes to passing this season, Carolina is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its 21st-ranked passing attack will face the 24th-ranked pass defense of Tampa Bay, while its 16th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 19th-ranked passing game of the Buccaneers.
Carolina is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 11th-ranked rushing attack will face the 20th-ranked run defense of Tampa Bay, while its 19th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 31st-ranked rushing game of the Buccaneers.
