The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are 6-3 and in second place in the NFC-South will travel to Charlotte, NC to face the Carolina Panthers who are 3-6 on the season. Carolina is looking to break a four-game losing streak, while Tampa Bay is reeling from the 38-3 loss against New Orleans last week. Carolina leads the all-time series between the two teams, 24-16, yet the Buccaneers have won the last three of four games. This is the second time the two teams meet this season, in Week 2, Tampa Bay defeated Carolina 31-17 on their home field, and the Buccaneers are favored to win this week as well. The Panthers will be facing an uphill battle with Christian McCaffrey ruled out for this week’s game in addition to a battered defensive line.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offense
In his first season as a Buccaneer, star quarterback Tom Brady has recorded 226 completions for 2,398 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for a 96.2 rating on the books. In the Week 2 meeting, he was 23-35 with 217 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Brady is ranked fourth in the NFL with his 20 touchdown passes, also, his league record 18th season with 20 or more touchdowns.
Ronald Jones leads Tampa Bay with 538 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Jones scored a rushing touchdown in the Week 2 meeting and he is going for his third game in a row versus Carolina with at least one rushing touchdown.
Leonard Fournette is right behind Jones with 225 yards and two rushing touchdowns on the season. The two touchdowns came in the Week 2 matchup against Carolina where he also put up 103 yards.
Mike Evans put up 104 yards and a receiving touchdown in the Week 2 game and is seeking his third game in a row versus Carolina with 90 or more receiving yards. Evans is one of three wide receivers with 40 or more receiving touchdowns since 2016. (Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill)
Antonio Brown is seeking his third game in a row versus Carolina with 90 or more receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch. Since 2010, Brown ranks second in the league in catches and receiving yards and also ranks third in receiving touchdowns.
Rob Gronkowski has played in one career game against Carolina, while he played for the Patriots, and during that game, he did put a receiving touchdown on the books.
Defense
Lavonte David recorded nine tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Week 2 game against Carolina. He is going for his ninth game in a row versus the Panthers with five or more tackles.
Devin White led the Buccaneers with 14 tackles last week and put up his career-high 15 tackles in the Week 2 matchup. Shaquil Barrett posted a sack and a forced fumble in Week 9 and in the last meeting on the road he recorded three sacks.
Jason Pierre-Paul looks to record at least one sack in this game, which will give him three in a row versus Carolina. Ndamukong Suh also recorded two sacks in the Week 2 meeting. Pierre-Paul leads his team with six and a half sacks on the season, so this task shouldn’t be a problem for him.
Carolina Panthers
Offense
In week 9, Teddy Bridgewater passed for 310 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 103.3 rating in addition to scoring a rushing touchdown. In the Week 2 matchup, he passed for 367 yards and is looking for his third start in a row versus Tampa Bay with more than 300 passing yards. Bridgewater ranks third in the NFC in passing yards.
Mike Davis did a good job standing in for McCaffrey the six weeks he was out injured and it will be up to Davis to step it up again this week against the Buccaneers. Davis posted eight receptions for 74 yards in the Week 2 game and ranks second among running backs with 43 catches this season.
Robby Anderson put nine receptions for 63 yards on the books in Week 9 and in the last meeting against Tampa bay he had nine catches for 109 yards. Anderson is one of two wide receivers with eight games of five or more catches this season. (Stefon Diggs)
D.J. Moore is going for his fourth game in a row versus Tampa Bay with 85 or more scrimmage yards and posted eight catches for 120 yards in the last meeting. Curtis Samuel set career-highs in catches and receiving yards last week in addition to a receiving touchdown.
Defense
Shaq Thompson leads the Panthers with 73 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and four pass deflections on the season. Thompson hopes for his third game in a row with at least one pass deflection.
Jeremy Chinn is behind Thompson with 66 tackles and leads all rookies in the league. Chinn also has one tackle for loss, five pass deflections, and an interception under his belt this year.
Brian Burns had a sack in the last home meeting and leads the Panthers in total sacks, with four on the season. Burns also has put six and a half tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles on the books this season.
Donte Jackson posted an interception in the Week 2 meeting and is going for his fourth game in a row at home with a pass deflection.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, November 15th
Start Time: 1 P.M. EST
Location: Charlotte, NC
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
TV Info: FOX
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Point Spread: TB -6.5, CAR +6.5 (-110)
Over/Under: O 51 (-110) | U 51 (-110)
Moneyline: TB, -265 | CAR +215
The Carolina defensive line won’t let Tampa Bay run away with this game, and the Panthers should be able to put up at least three touchdowns and maybe even a field goal. It will probably be a closer game than most think, and the under is the safe bet with this game.
Prediction
This is a must-win game for the Panthers and without McCaffrey and several players on the defensive line, it just doesn’t seem feasible. However, the Buccaneers haven’t brought their best game consistently this season, and in 2020 anything can happen. The Buccaneers win it, but it’s not a blowout win.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 24, Carolina 21
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Main Credit Image: Embed from Getty Images
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