Panthers vs Buccaneers Odds, Lines, & Spread

• The Carolina Panthers take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 at 1:00 PM EST on FOX
• Last Week: 1-0 Moneyline (+1.18 units), 0-1 Total (-1 unit)
• We break down the match-up and give the best bets for this NFC South showdown

Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season wasn’t kind to the Panthers or the Buccaneers.

Josh Jacobs ran all over Carolina in a thrilling comeback. Meanwhile, the debut of Tompa Bay (or Tampa Brady, or whatever the GOAT is calling them) fell flat against Drew Brees and the Saints.

Now both teams head into Week 2 searching for their first win. Kick-off is slated for 1:00 pm EST at a cloudy and breezy Raymond James Stadium.

Panthers vs Buccaneers Week 2 Odds

Odds as of Sept 19th at DraftKings

Neither team was great Against the Spread in 2019. The Panthers were 6-9-1 while the Bucs were 5-9-2 ATS; both are 0-1. The road team won both match-ups last year, with Tampa Bay coming through as an underdog and the Panthers as a favorite.

So far the Panthers vs Buccaneers odds have been moving. Earlier in the week, Tampa was seeing 85% of the action. Now Carolina is up to 58%. After Tampa Bay opened as 9.5-point favorites, the spread has dropped to 8.5.

Godwin’s Status Spurs Big Swing to Panthers

The recent action on Carolina may have a lot to do with the status of Chris Godwin.

After securing six of seven targets in Week 1, Godwin left the loss late with a head injury. He entered concussion protocol on Wednesday and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.

Just to clarify re: Chris Godwin, while he was at practice, he's was only advancing to the next step of the concussion protocol which is non-contact practice. Still a couple steps from being cleared to play.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 18, 2020

Godwin was Tampa’s most productive pass catcher. Without him in the fold, that likely elevates Scotty Miller, while also placing added importance on the Bucs’ Tight Ends.

Bucs coach Bruce Arians, on his weekly radio show, says they should’ve moved Mike Evans around vs the Saints instead of keeping him outside and lamented only targeting him four times. Says he feels bad if Evans has less than 10 targets in any game. Evans had 1 catch for 4 yards.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 15, 2020

There’s also the hope that, as Bruce Arians promised, a seemingly healthy Mike Evans will get more involved.

Tom Brady Looks to Recover vs Panthers

One loss isn’t the end of the world, but it did put a damper on things.

After signing Brady, Tampa was hoping the investment would pay immediate dividends. Instead, there were plenty of growing pains in Week 1.

Tom Brady: Final Drive vs Rest of Game

That final drive came with the Bucs trailing 34-16.

Does this mean that you can write off the six-time Super Bowl champion? No. But it does mean that Brady isn’t immune to the missteps of learning a completely new offense.

.@ShannonSharpe on Bruce Arians criticizing Tom Brady publicly:

"Yeah it was in bounds. Did Brady play well? No. Brady knew what he was signing up for, Bruce Arians has no filter. Tom Brady made mistakes and BA pointed it out." pic.twitter.com/dzi9bD8jJ6

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 15, 2020

In 2019, Brady averaged 4.2 deep throws a game. Granted, that had a lot to do with the Patriots’ skill players, but it isn’t surprising for a 43-year old QB. On Sunday he looked deep six times, with two negated by penalties.

If long shots are a regularity, then turnovers are inevitable. And Tampa allowed the Saints to turn two turnovers into 14 points.

Panthers Hopes Run With CMC

In 2019, Christian McCaffrey didn’t have gaudy numbers on the ground against the Bucs. But, like Alvin Kamara in Week 1, the Panthers do-it-all back did more damage when he caught the ball.

McCaffrey 2019 Averages vs Kamara 2020

McCaffrey’s better game came in their Week 6 meeting where he scored both of his touchdowns.

Now he’s coming off of a massive effort against the Raiders with 134 total yards and two touchdowns. We’d lock in a Kamara-like line for McCaffrey. Hopefully, Teddy Bridgewater and the offense can keep up.

Panthers Hope to Spoil Bucs’ Homecoming

The season series was split 1-1 last year. Tampa lost when Jameis Winston threw five interceptions. They won when he didn’t.

Brady won’t throw five interceptions, and history suggests his offense should be better with another week of preparation.

While they won’t pull off the upset, the Panthers should cover. This is a team that stayed within six points of some heavy hitters last year despite a depleted roster, so eight doesn’t seem like too daunting of a number early in 2020.

The Pick: PANTHERS +8.0 (-110, 1 Unit)