By: David Lawrence
They’re hot right now. They’ve won three straight and four of five, and are a very confident team. As confident as they are, the Panthers are self-doubting.
When the Panthers offense sputtered in Week 1 against Buccaneers, many people thought it was just an aberration. As it turns out, the Panthers’ offense has been brutal this season. The Bucs, on the other hand, are surging. So, who do we like with our NFL picks?
The Buccaneers can win because…
They’re hot right now. They’ve won three straight and four of five, and are a very confident team. As confident as they are, the Panthers are self-doubting.
The Panthers have lost six of seven and can’t get their offense going. Cam Newton has been nothing short of a disaster this season; he has 10 interceptions, nine fumbles and just eight touchdown passes. He sulks every week, and his lack of leadership has been startling.
On top of that, the Panhters have lost four straight at home and don’t really have much of an advantage playing in front of their own audience.
The Bucs have a hot running back in Doug Martin; he has collected 851 total yards in the last five games. Meanwhile, the Bucs run defense is ranked second in the NFL. Does anyone really see the Panthers winning if they can’t run the football?
The Panthers can win because…
This is revenge. The Panthers lost in Week 1 at Tampa Bay and have been in a tailspin ever since. They can turn the page on their struggles if they can get back on track, exorcise some demons and get a big win over their division rival.
The good news for the Panthers is that their defense has actually played well this season. Last season, they were giving up 377.6 yards per game and 26.8 points per game. This year, they’ve trimmed the yardage down to 344.9 per game and the point total to 24. Over the last five weeks, they’ve allowed just 21.4 points per game.
Now that the defense actually keeps them in games, the offense just needs to take advantage.
While the atmosphere in Tampa Bay has picked up, don’t get too excited yet. They have won four of five but those wins have come against Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and San Diego. Those teams aren’t exactly Super Bowl contenders.
As long as the Panthers offense can get going, these teams are more evenly matched than one might think.
Outlook & NFL Football Betting Prediction
This is not a spot to take a shot with Carolina. They’re ice cold and they continue to find ways to lose. They appear to be regressing after last week’s home blowout loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is get on the right track as they have won four of five and continue to look stronger in the process.
The Bucs solid run defense is going to force this game on Cam Newton’s shoulders once again, and we know how that turns out. Look for the Bucs to play smart, run the football, take what their opponent gives them and be efficient once again. They should get the job done here.
NFL Football Picks: Bucs PICK at 5Dimes +++
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