Buccaneers vs Panthers preview, predictions, betting odds, live stream info
By Josh Hill
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The NFL season is finally upon us, which means that the rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers is going to be renewed once again. Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly and Ron Rivera are no strangers to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers are fielding a team of newbies from quarterback Josh McCown to rookie wide receiver Mike Evans and even first year head coach Lovie Smith.
Here are all the details for Sunday’s game so you don’t miss a second of the action:
Date: Sunday, September 7th
Start Time: 4:25pm ET
Location: Tampa, FL
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
TV Info: FOX
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
Radio: 620 WDAE (Buccaneers), 1110 WBT (Panthers)
Ticket information: For Buccaneers ticket info click here. For Panthers ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
Tampa Bay’s defense didn’t allow touchdown in the preseason when the starters were on the field, which is pretty significant. That will obviously change and preseason football is different from finely tuned regular season ball, but the Bucs defense is for real and Carolina needs to adjust accordingly.
Carolina has it’s own stout defense though and the Buccaneers have an unproven offense. Additionally, the Bucs have a secondary that may take some time to mesh together, meaning Cam Newton may have open looks on receivers that aren’t properly covered. Luckily for the Buccaneers, Cam Newton has no one to throw to, which means this could be an excellent confidence boosting game.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Tampa Bay -125
Moneyline: CAR: 115, TB: -135
O/U: 39.5
Prediction
The NFC South is going to be much better than it as last year and that’s saying a lot since two teams from the division made the postseason. Carolina was the No. 2 seed in the NFC but they have work to do to get back there. That’s going to be tough when you have a hungry and talented Buccaneers team chomping at the bit to break free and run wild and rabid on the NFC South.
Lovie Smith coming back to Tampa Bay is just too huge for the Panthers as the Bucs will be fired up, the crowd will be electric and the Panthers won’t stand much of a chance.
Final Score: Panthers 13, Buccaneers 24