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With the Panthers vs. Bucs spread, the thing that really stands out is how one time lowly Tampa Bay was getting the most betting action on the spread in this game. The line hasn’t moved though. It was at -7 everywhere. Spread action was getting 85 percent in favor of the Buccaneers. The Tampa Bay money line was getting even more. The total was at 37 with slightly more bets coming in on the OVER.
In recent years, Tampa Bay has had trouble with Carolina at home. However, these Bucs are a much improved team while Carolina is going in another direction entirely.
While the Panthers have triumphed in six of seven games at Tampa, they could be in for a long day without their starting quarterback and two leading rushers, ESPN.com points out.
"When you're at the midway point, and you're still playing meaningful games instead of being worried about draft status, you're feeling much better about where you are and what you're trying to do," said Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris about his 5-3 team, which at this point last season had won only a single game.
Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman has been averaging 235.6 passing yards his last five games.
"Its been good play-calling," said Freeman, who threw two TD passes in a 20-7 win over Carolina in Week 2. "When you call a shot play, its very seldom that you get the shot by chance. Each play is designed to beat a specific coverage, and thats how you get a guy running one-on-one or running free down the field."
Let’s look at some important trends concerning the Panthers vs. Bucs game.
Carolina has covered three of the last four in this series.
The Panthers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. NFC South.
The Panthers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Tampa Bay is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a S.U. loss.
The Buccaneers are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 home games.
The Buccaneers are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The Panthers are 8-3 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. (edge: Panthers)
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
