The Carolina Panthers will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th. This matchup is being played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.

With the Panthers at +322 on the money line, the Buccaneers are favored by -416 as they face off in a week 17 matchup at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th. The Panthers and Buccaneers will be on CBS, and the game is being played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The Buccaneers are favored by -8 points, and the over/under line is set at 49.5 points.

• Date: Sunday, December 29th
• Time: 1:00 ET
• Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay
• TV: CBS

Panthers vs Buccaneers

With a 4-11 record, the Panthers sit 32nd in our power rankings and have been eliminated from playoff contention. Carolina is 1-5 on the road and 3-6 at home, including a week 16 win over the Cardinals. They were 5.5-point underdogs in that game but came away with a 36-30 victory, snapping a 4-game losing streak.

Carolina is 7-8 against the spread, with all of their wins coming as underdogs. Their O/U record is 11-4, with the over hitting in their last two games. Panthers games have averaged 48.7 points, with an average line of 43.3.

Heading into week 17, the Buccaneers hold an 8-7 record, putting their playoff chances at 58.1% and their odds of winning the NFC South at 51.7%. Tampa Bay currently ranks 8th in our NFL power rankings. After three straight wins, the Bucs fell to the Cowboys in week 16, losing 26-24 and failing to cover the 4.5-point spread as favorites. The O/U line for the game was 47, and the teams combined for 50 points.

So far, Tampa Bay has an average scoring margin of +5 points per game and is 9-6 against the spread. Their O/U record is 10-5, with the over hitting in their last two games. The Bucs’ games have averaged 51.9 points this season, compared to an average O/U line of 45.5.

Panthers Injury Report

• Shaq Thompson – Achilles (Out)
• Ian Thomas – Calf (Out)
• Austin Corbett – Bicep (Out)
• Miles Sanders – Ankle (Out)
• Derrick Brown – Knee (Out)
• Stephen Sullivan – Knee (Out)
• Cade Mays – Illness (Questionable)
• Claudin Cherelus – Toe (Out)
• Trevin Wallace – Shoulder (Out)
• Jonathon Brooks – Knee (Out)
• Popo Aumavae – Undisclosed (Out)
• Xavier Legette – Hip (Questionable)

Buccaneers Injury Report

• Kameron Johnson – Ankle (Questionable)
• Kaevon Merriweather – Knee (Questionable)
• SirVocea Dennis – Shoulder (Out)
• Markees Watts – Quad (Out)
• Silas Dzansi – Knee (Out)
• K.J. Britt – Ankle (Questionable)
• Cade Otton – Knee (Questionable)
• Bryce Hall – Ankle (Out)
• Eric Banks – Undisclosed (Out)
• Antoine Winfield Jr. – Knee (Questionable)
• Sterling Shepard – Hamstring (Questionable)
• Chris Godwin – Ankle (Out)
• Troy Hill – Foot/knee (Out)
• Jordan Whitehead – Pectoral (Out)
• Sua Opeta – Knee (Out)
• Cody Thompson – Shoulder (Out)
• Chase Edmonds – Knee (Out)

Panthers Offense Breakdown

In our offensive power rankings, the Panthers sit 24th in the NFL, and they are 26th in points per game, averaging 18.9. They rank 30th in both passing yards (183.5) and total yards per game (295.8), while their 35.3% third-down conversion rate is 27th in the league. However, they are 13th in red zone conversion percentage, despite ranking 16th in red zone attempts.

Bryce Young had a strong performance in week 16, posting a passer rating of 107 and throwing for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries, while Adam Thielen led the team with 5 catches for 43 yards and a touchdown.

Buccaneers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 17, the Buccaneers are 9th in our offensive power rankings. They are 5th in the NFL in points per game (28.5) and 3rd in yards per game (389.8). Tampa Bay ranks 3rd in passing yards per game (246.1) and 7th in rushing, with 143.7 yards per game. Despite being 5th in red zone attempts, they are 29th in conversion percentage (5.2%).

Baker Mayfield threw for 303 yards (31/43) and 2 touchdowns in week 16 against the Cowboys. Mike Evans led the team with 69 receiving yards, and Bucky Irving had 68 rushing yards on 16 carries. Tampa Bay scored 14 points in the 2nd quarter and 7 in the 4th.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite giving up 206 yards on the ground, the Panthers’ defense was able to come up with a good performance in their most recent game, allowing just 176 yards passing. They picked off one pass and held Arizona to 46.2% on third down. The Panthers won the game 36-30 in overtime, and their defense gave up a total of 382 yards.

Carolina gave up 29 rushing attempts to the Cardinals, who averaged 7.1 yards per attempt. In the passing game, the Panthers allowed just one touchdown. They also had three sacks in the game.

Buccaneers Team Defense

In their 26-24 loss to the Cowboys, the Buccaneers’ defense allowed just 31 rushing yards on 20 attempts, making it tough for Dallas to run the ball. However, the passing game was more successful for the Cowboys, as they completed 74.3% of their passes for 286 yards and one touchdown. Tampa Bay recorded only one sack and allowed Dallas to convert 66.7% of their fourth-down attempts.

The Buccaneers’ defense couldn’t get off the field when they needed to, as the Cowboys converted 66.7% of their fourth-down attempts and 46.7% of their third-down attempts. Tampa Bay also allowed Dallas to hold the ball for 31:17.

Panthers vs Buccaneers Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 16 points per game in this stretch.
• In their last ten games at home, the Buccaneers have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 27 points per game in these contests.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Panthers have gone 3-0 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Buccaneers have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.

Panthers vs Buccaneers Prediction

Our pick vs. the spread in this week 17 matchup between the Panthers and Buccaneers is to take the Panthers to cover as road underdogs. Even though the Panthers are 8-point underdogs, we have the Buccaneers winning by a score of 29-25.

For this game, we are leaning towards a bet on the over, with the line sitting at 49.5 points. Our projections have these teams combining for 54 points, making the over a good bet to consider.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.