NFL Football Betting: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

Gerald McCoy will have the chance to get a little bit of revenge on his former team when the Carolina Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. McCoy was cut by the Buccaneers in the offseason after six Pro Bowl appearances in nine seasons, and the Panthers were quick to sign their former rival. He has the opportunity to send Jameis Winston and his old teammates to 0-2 on the season.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS
LINE: +7
TOTAL: 49.5

Carolina opened as a five-point favorite per the football betting odds, but that line has risen since Sunday night. The Panthers are now -7 as bettors jump off the Buccaneers following a dreadful performance from Winston in Tampa Bay’s opener.

The total has seen action too. Originally, the NFL betting odds had the over/under for this game as 50.5, but it has dropped a point to where it currently sits as of Wednesday morning.

Both these teams lost their season opener, but oddsmakers are significantly higher on Carolina’s chances of turning it around than Tampa Bay’s chances. The Panthers are +550 to win the NFC South, while the Buccaneers are +1600 per the NFC South betting odds.

INJURY REPORT

The hosts might not have two players on each side of the ball on Thursday night. Safety Rashaan Gaulden and defensive end Bruce Irvin are both questionable, while offensive tackle Greg Little is questionable and tight end Greg Olsen is probable.

Tampa Bay won’t have safety Justin Evans for a considerable amount of time after he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, and cornerback Ryan Smith will be suspended for this game. Back-up quarterback Blaine Gabbert is questionable.

WHEN CAROLINA IS ON OFFENSE

Christian McCaffrey is the heart of the Panthers’ offense. McCaffrey was responsible for most of Carolina’s offensive production against the Rams last weekend, leading the team in both rushing and receiving. He accounted for 209 of Carolina’s 343 total yards, and the versatile running back will be the key to the Panthers’ game-plan on Thursday.

There are going to be plenty of eyes on Cam Newton. The Panthers were one of the best teams in the NFL until Newton hurt his shoulder last season, and he spent the offseason rehabbing the injury. Newton didn’t look great in the opener against the Rams, but he seemed to find his rhythm late, and he developed a rapport with second-year receiver DJ Moore. Moore’s NFL player props could be worth a bet.

The Buccaneers defense was surprisingly good in their first game of the season, holding San Francisco to 256 total yards of offense. That’s promising considering how they performed last season, but a short week will test them.

WHEN TAMPA BAY IS ON OFFENSE

There’s a new coach and a new offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, but Jameis Winston remains the same. To say Winston’s debut was disappointing is an understatement, as his three interceptions cost the Buccaneers the game. Two of those picks were returned for touchdowns, and Winston ended the day with an 8.6 QBR. This is Winston’s last chance to sink or swim in Tampa, but with Gabbert backing him up he will get every chance in his final year.

At least the Bucs’ running game looks better. Tampa Bay was one of the worst running teams last year, as neither Ronald Jones nor Peyton Barber could consistently move the chains on the ground. However, Jones and Barber averaged 5.1 yards per carry in the season opener, and that gives Tampa Bay fans hope of a turnaround. The Panthers had issues stopping the run against the Rams last week, so the Bucs want to keep that going. If they can run the ball, Tampa stands a good chance of covering the NFL betting line.

Carolina’s secondary did an excellent job of shutting down the Rams’ vaunted passing attack, so Mike Evans could be held in check once more. Evans only caught two passes for 28 yards on Sunday, and the Panthers put an emphasis on shutting him down last season. In two games, Evans was targeted 16 times, but he caught just five passes for 64 yards.

PREDICTION

The ‘under’ is a solid bet. The line has already shifted down by a point, and it is likely to move more prior to kickoff considering the problems both offenses had in Week 1.

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