The Carolina Panthers aim to play the role of spoilers when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Tampa Bay clinches its third straight NFC South title with a win, but will need some help from other teams if they tie or lose to Carolina. The Panthers enter with a 2-14 overall record, with a 2-5 mark at home. The Buccaneers are 8-8 overall and 4-4 on the road. The Panthers were blown out 26-0 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Bucs fell to the New Orleans Saints 23-13 in Week 17.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET. The Buccaneers are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Panthers vs. Buccaneers odds, and the over/under is 36.5 points. Before locking in any Buccaneers vs. Panthers picks, you'll want to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 181-129 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 35-21 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
The model has set its sights on Bucs vs. Panthers and just locked in its picks and NFL predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for the game:
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers spread: Bucs -3.5
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers over/under: 36.5 points
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers money line: Bucs -216, Panthers +177
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers picks: See picks here
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers live stream: fubo (try for free)
What you need to know about the Panthers
The Panthers were lifeless on offense last week in a 26-0 defeat to the Jaguars. That was the first shutout Carolina has experienced all year. The Panthers were plagued by a lackluster offense and finished the game with only 2.3 yards per play. That's the fewest yards per play they've managed all season.
Quarterback Bryce Young has struggled in his first professional season, and will be looking to have a strong performance to head into the offseason with some optimism. Young has completed 59.7% of his passes for 2,783 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's also rushed for 229 yards. His top target has been veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who has 101 catches for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Buccaneers
Motivation should be extremely high for the Buccaneers, who control their own postseason destiny. With a win over the Panthers, who will finish the season with the worst record in the league regardless of the outcome of this game on Sunday, Tampa Bay will clinch its third consecutive NFC South title and will host a playoff game on Wild Card Weekend. With a loss or tie, the Bucs will need some help from the Saints and Falcons to qualify for the postseason.
Much of Tampa Bay's success can be attributed to a strong defense and the resurgence of quarterback Baker Mayfield. The former No. 1 overall pick is having the best season of his career and enters this matchup completing 64.4% of his passes for 3,907 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 156 yards and a score on the ground. His top target has been veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, who is having another All-Pro caliber season with 76 catches for 1,233 yards, and 13 touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
How to make Panthers vs. Buccaneers picks
The model has simulated Panthers vs. Buccaneers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Buccaneers vs. Panthers on Sunday, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the point spread you should jump on, all from the advanced model on an 181-129 roll on NFL picks, and find out.
