Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Odds & Game Schedule

Buccaneers vs Panthers Odds: Who Is Favored To Win?

The visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers are favored at -4.5 to win vs. the Carolina Panthers at DraftKings North Carolina, meaning the Bucs must win by at least 5 points to cover the spread.

The first-place Buccaneers have a 71.4% chance via implied probability to win the NFC South going into Week 18. If they win, they'll take the division title for the third consecutive season. If they lose, they could miss the playoffs entirely. There's a lot on the line for this Tampa Bay team, which means the Panthers could play big-time spoilers if they pull out an upset.

Panthers vs Buccaneers Spread: What The Spread Tells Us

The spread for Sunday's game has the Buccaneers as 4.5-point favorites, which is similar to the point spread for these teams' Week 13 matchup. This means that Tampa Bay needs to win by a minimum of 5 points to cover the spread and pay out a bet.

This spread tells us that oddsmakers predict the Buccaneers to win by at least one touchdown vs. the Panthers.

Panthers vs Buccaneers Moneyline: What The Moneyline Tells Us

The moneyline favors the Buccaneers at -225 odds, which translates to 69.2% implied probability that they'll win. The Panthers moneyline odds of +185 give them an implied probability of 35.1%. 

It's not the most imbalanced moneyline I've ever seen, which might mean oddsmakers see a path to victory for the Panthers.

Carolina Panthers Chances To Win vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This game may come down to defense.

The Panthers have not had a repeatable, successful template for winning in the 2023 season. In their two wins of the season, they've only won by a combined four points. Notably, one of those wins did come against a fellow NFC South opponent, so there's no discounting interdivisional rivalry in this game.

However, both teams' defenses match up well vs. their opponents' offensive gaps.

If the Panthers want to pull off an upset, QB Bryce Young will need a clean game with no turnovers. In the Panthers' Week 8 and Week 15 wins, Young had zero interceptions. The ground game will need to rely on RB Chuba Hubbard to be consistent, even if he doesn't score touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers defense will need to force some takeaways vs. the Bucs. In Carolina's two wins, the defense combined for two fumble recoveries and an interception.

How Carolina Wins vs Tampa Bay

The Panthers have given up 123 rush yards per game this season, which ranks in the lower third of the league. The Bucs, on the other hand, rank second-to-last in rush yards per game with just 87.3. This Panthers defense could keep QB Bryce Young and the offense in the game long enough to outscore the Bucs—if they can disrupt the run game and force pressure on QB Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was banged up following the team's Week 17 loss to the Saints, though he is expected to play without any limitations.

The Panthers have only given up 175.1 passing yards per game this season to opponents, which is third-best in the league.

The 8-8 Bucs average 318.3 yards of total offense per game, which ranks No. 22 out of 32 teams.

• 📈 Strength: Pass defense
• 📉 Weakness: Pass offense, run defense

How Tampa Bay Wins vs Carolina

The Panthers rank next-to-last in points scored per game, which means this game is a huge opportunity for the Bucs defense to dominate. Led by Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea in the defensive interior, along with Lavonte David and Devin White at linebacker, they have been extremely stout at stopping running backs from making big plays. The Bucs allow just 93.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks sixth-best in the NFL. The Panthers average just over 100 rushing yards per game.

Plus, you can never count out stud WR Mike Evans, who posted his 10th straight 1,000-yard game earlier this season against the Panthers.

• 📈 Strength: Rush defense, Pass offense
• 📉 Weakness: Rush offense

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Prop Bets

In any key divisional game such as the one between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you can expect a close, highly contested game with many players making plays in order to lead their team victory.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Player Props

Below is a selection of intriguing player prop bets I found across DraftKings and FanDuel North Carolina for this matchup:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Team Props

⭐️ Note: Future North Carolina betting promo codes could boost odds like the ones above.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Futures Bets

The Panthers have been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Bucs are still alive. This is a win-and-your-in game for the Buccaneers, and they fully control their own postseason destiny.

Where to Bet on Panthers vs Buccaneers

Mobile sports betting in North Carolina launched on March 11th, 2024. Now that sports betting is live in the state, don't forget to check the latest NC sportsbook promos before making your bets.

You can also bet at one of three retail sportsbooks located on tribal grounds in North Carolina.

Caesars operates at two Harrah's properties: Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino. 

The third location is Catawba Two Kings Casino.

How to Watch Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game

You can watch Panthers vs Bucs on your local FOX station starting at 1 p.m. ET. The game is available for free streaming on Fox Sports, as well as NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL+ (with subscriptions).

• 📅 Date: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024
• ⏰ Time: 1 p.m. ET
• 📺 Broadcast: FOX
• 📲 Streaming: Fox Sports, NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket
• ⛅️ Weather: 57 degrees, partly sunny with 17% chance of rain

The game takes place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

Latest Panthers vs Buccaneers Updates

• 📅 Jan. 2, 2024: Panthers owner David Tepper is fined $300K by the league for "unacceptable conduct" in a loss to the Jaguars.
• 📅 Dec. 31, 2023: X-rays on Baker Mayfield's ribs did not reveal any fractures after taking a hit vs. the Saints.
• 📅 Dec. 3, 2023: The Panthers are mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture with their loss to the Bucs.
• 📅 Nov. 27, 2023: Head coach Frank Reich is fired after posting a 1-10 record.
• 📅 Nov. 15, 2023: Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is relieved from play-calling duties after one month.
• 📅 Oct. 16, 2023: The Panthers announce that offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will be calling the offensive plays from this point forward.
• 📅 Sept. 9, 2023: The Bucs and WR Mike Evans won't agree on a contract extension before the start of the season, a deadline Evans set earlier in 2023. His future in TB is uncertain.
• 📅 July 26, 2023: The Panthers officially name Young their starting QB.
• 📅 April 27, 2023: The Panthers select Alabama QB Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
• 📅 March 15, 2023: The Buccaneers sign Baker Mayfield to a one-year deal.
• 📅 March 10, 2023: The Panthers traded the No. 9 and No. 61 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as a 2024 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, and WR D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the first overall pick.
• 📅 Feb. 1, 2023: Super Bowl-winning QB Tom Brady retires for good.
• 📅 Jan. 26, 2023: The Panthers hire Frank Reich, who had previously served as the Colts' head coach in 2022.

Carolina Panthers Coaches & Top Team Players

Interim head coach Chris Tabor took the helm for the first time against the Buccaneers just over a month ago. Since then, he's gone 1-3 as head coach. 

Rookie QB Bryce Young remains the most important player for the Panthers, as he represents the future of the franchise. As you can see from tracking Bryce Young odds this season, he's very, very unlikely to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nonetheless, Panthers faithful are hoping to see a spark from their No. 1 overall pick to close out the season and look ahead to 2024.

WR Adam Thielen hit 1,000 yards this season for the first time since 2018, so his connection with Young appears to be strong. Thielen signed a three-year deal this offseason, which bodes well for Young moving forward.

It remains to be seen if Chuba Hubbard will keep the RB1 spot over Miles Sanders, who has not lived up to preseason expectations with Carolina.

🏈 MORE: Bryce Young Passing TD Odds

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coaches & Top Team Players

Todd Bowles is in his second season as head coach and has a chance to win the NFC South for a second consecutive year. Under center, he's working with No. 1 pick-turned-journeyman QB Baker Mayfield, who is likely to return to the team next season.

They have arguably one of the best WRs in the NFL in Mike Evans, who recorded his 10th-straight 1,000-yard season, all of which have come with the Bucs. This offseason, he'll be looking for a new contract from Tampa Bay ... or elsewhere.

A History of the Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rivalry

The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not become true division rivals until 2002 season, when the NFC South division was formed. The Panthers came from the NFC West, while the Bucs moved from the NFC Central.

Prior to the realignment, they had only played three games against each other, but since then, they have played 45 total games. The Panthers hold a small lead in their history against each other, with a record of 25-20 all-time against the Buccaneers.

Top 5 Games Between Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers

The Bucs and Panthers have played 45 times in their history. These are my Top 5 matchups of all time between these two rivals.

• Sept. 14, 2003: CAR wins, 12-9 In a defensive battle, Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins blocked an extra point after time expired, forcing overtime. Carolina WR Steve Smith returned a punt 52 yards in OT, setting up a game-winning 47-yard field goal.
• Jan. 3, 2016: CAR wins, 38-10 The Panthers magical Super Bowl run ended its regular season with a 15-1 record, closing with a dominant victory over the Buccaneers in the final week of the season, 38-10. This would catapult them into Super Bowl 50, while Tampa Bay fires head coach Lovie Smith just a few days after this game.
• Oct. 10, 2016: TB wins, 17-16 The Bucs snapped Carolina's 6-game winning streak after ruining Panthers backup QB Derek Anderson's start, forcing two interceptions and one fumble. The game remained tied in the final minute. Bucs kicker Roberto Aguayo nailed the game-winning field goal as time expired.
• Oct. 13, 2019: CAR wins, 37-26 The Panthers won the first international game in their history in London. Behind a steady game from QB Kyle Allen, two TDs from RB Christian McCaffrey, and 5 interceptions on Bucs QB Jameis Winston, the Panthers dominated from start to finish.
• Jan. 2, 2023: TB wins, 30-24 This showdown ended up being a de facto playoff game, with the winner likely repping the NFC South in the playoffs. Despite beating them once already, the Panthers squandered a fourth-quarter lea. Tampa Bay won en route towards a playoff berth, eliminating Carolina from contention.

Panthers vs Bucs Records

Author

Shannon Lane

@shannonlanenfl

Shannon Lane is a commercial editor and fact-checker for BetCarolina. She's spent the last decade working in sports media, including at NFL Media and as a reporter/fact-checker at Sports Illustrated. She covers everything NFL football to give North Carolina sports betters the best information on the Panthers and other NFL teams.