Seven months of hype popped and fizzled like discount fireworks for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who try to overcome an embarrassing opening game loss when they host the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.
Tampa Bay was a popular NFL betting pick against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 but couldn’t get the offense on track in a 34-23 loss. Carolina was also dealt a defeat in Week 1, giving up a late lead to the Las Vegas Raiders to lose 34-30.
These are our NFL free picks and predictions for Panthers vs. Buccaneers on September 20.
Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers betting preview
Weather
The extended forecast for Tampa is calling for temperatures in the high-80s with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms and winds blowing up to 20 mph on Sunday. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key Injuries
Panthers: Dennis Daley G (Out), Kawann Short DT (Out), Yetur Gross-Matos DE (Out)
Buccaneers: WR Chris Godwin (Out)
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as road underdogs. Find more NFL betting trends for Panthers vs. Buccaneers.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The lookahead spread for this Week 2 NFC South showdown opened at Tampa Bay -8.5 back in the spring and grew as big as -9 with hype around the Bucs. The true opening line, which hit the board Sunday night, had the Buccaneers at -8 with the bookies using that dead number to take the temperature of the betting markets. The results are in: bettors aren’t so sweet on Brady & Co., moving this spread to -7.5.
Update: After the drop to -7.5, money on Tampa Bay steamed the line as high as -10 on Monday night. There was buyback on Carolina +10, which has most books dealing Bucs -9. The move from -7.5 to -9 isn't as big as it seems, as bookmakers will quickly move through the dead numbers of -8 and -8.5. As always, shop around for the best spread available if you have multiple options.
Carolina’s defense is not going to present the same challenges as New Orleans, especially not after allowing Las Vegas to charge down the field for a game-winning touchdown in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Brady and the Bucs started to figure some things out in the second half in New Orleans but the damage was already done.
Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t pose the same deep-ball threat as Drew Brees did and this athletic Bucs defense will be able to keep everything in front of it. Carolina star RB Christian McCaffrey wasn’t able to get going against Tampa Bay’s front seven last season, mustering just 68 total yards rushing and 42 yards receiving in two games versus the Buccaneers.
PREDICTION: Tampa Bay -7.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Tampa Bay had to abandon the run when the Saints went up big in Week 1, making this playbook very one-dimensional. However, the Panthers were pushed around for 133 yards on 31 carries from the Raiders’ rushing game and will get a healthy dose of Tampa Bay RBs Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, who had only five runs in the opener.
With the Bucs able to bottle up McCaffrey, the offense will lean on the dink-and-dunk arm of Bridgewater. He did hit WR Robby Anderson for a 75-yard touchdown strike, but a good chunk of those yards came after the catch and Bridgewater usually tops out at about 20 yards max.
The Panthers offense was better than expected in Week 1, thanks to familiarity between Bridgewater and new coordinator Joe Brady, but this is a big step up in competition. And Carolina isn’t the only team familiar with Brady’s sets. After playing the Saints in Week 1 – Joe Brady’s former pro club and the base of his offenses at LSU and Carolina – the Bucs’ should recognize plenty of plays on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Under 49 (-110)
Player prop pick
Brady wasn’t the only new Buc that had a dud of a debut.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who came out of retirement to join his former New England quarterback in Tampa Bay, was targeted only three times for two catches and a measly 11 yards receiving in Week 1. The Buccaneers’ other tight end, O.J. Howard, was more productive with four catches on six targets for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Gronk is a momentum player – with or without the football – and I expect Brady to get him started early into Week 2’s home opener, trying to inject some rocket fuel (or whatever energy drink Gronk is hocking these days) into those rusty legs.
Looking at Gronkowski’s past production since 2015, eight of his total 24 touchdowns have come in the first quarter (33 percent). You could take him to score a TD anytime, but we’re going big – because that’s what Gronk would want us to do – and playing No. 87 to score the first touchdown of the game on Sunday.
PREDICTION: Rob Gronkowski first touchdown scorer (+1,400)
Panthers vs Buccaneers betting card
- Tampa Bay -7.5 (-110)
- Under 49 (-110)
- Rob Gronkowski first touchdown scorer (+1,400)
Did you know that if you parlayed this week’s NFL Panthers vs. Buccaneers picks, you could win $536.69 on a $10 bet?
Use our NFL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on the NFL?
You can bet on NFL odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NFL moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals and a ton of NFL prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NFL odds in your area.
