Panthers vs. Bucs Week 6 Prediction
NFC South rivals the Panthers and Bucs will meet in London on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET in a game where Carolina is favored by less than a field goal. Will Kyle Allen and Christian McCaffrey lead the Panthers to victory or will Tampa pull off the small upset?
Game Snapshot
251 Carolina Panthers (-2.5) at 252 Tampa Bay Bucs (+2.5); O/U 47.5
9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday, October 13, 2019
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham
Public Betting Trends
According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Bucs are receiving 52% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.
Carolina Panthers Fantasy Spin
Christian McCaffrey (back) did not practice Wednesday. It was termed a “vet day” earlier Wednesday, but it’s officially listed as a back issue. McCaffrey had to leave Week 5 early against the Jaguars with what was reported as cramps. For now, we’d expect McCaffrey to be out there Sunday against the Bucs in London but a transcontinental flight likely won’t be easy if his back is acting up. Reggie Bonnafon would be the next man up, but we would be surprised if McCaffrey doesn’t play and handle his normal workload.
Tampa Bay Bucs Fantasy Spin
Chris Godwin caught 7-of-9 targets for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the Bucs’ Week 5 loss to the Saints. With Mike Evans locked down by Marshon Lattimore, Godwin went nuts for this third 120-yard effort in four weeks. The Bucs’ 1B receiver is now on pace for 106/1,635/19. Neither of those second two totals are particularly realistic, but it’s already clear that both coach Bruce Arians and summer fantasy drafters were right about how good Godwin could be in this offense. Godwin and the Bucs’ passing attack have a tough Week 6 matchup in the Panthers.
NFL Betting Trends
Carolina
The Panthers are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games when facing an opponent with a losing record.
Tampa Bay
The Bucs are just 1-8-1 against the number in their last 10 games played in the month of October.
Prediction
It’s hard to go back to the well again with the Bucs after they laid an egg last week in New Orleans but I think they’ll rebound. McCaffrey is a legitimate MVP candidate through the quarter pole of the season but the Bucs have an underrated front seven. Allen hasn’t played as well over the past couple weeks after an excellent showing against a bad Arizona defense in his first start of the season. Jameis Winston also continues to mix in poor starts with great ones and while the Panthers have a formidable front seven as well, they can be had on the back end defensively.
NFL Week 6 Prediction: Tampa Bay Bucs +2.5