Is Bucky Irving Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Buccaneers vs. Panthers in NFL Week 7)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was limited in practice to open this week due to an illness, but he returned to a full practice session on Friday.

As a result, the Bucs decided to take him off the injury report ahead of Sunday's Week 7 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, a sign that he'll play his usual role in this matchup.

Bucky Irving (illness) not listed on injury report for Week 7.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 23, 2026

Irving's presence is great news for a 1-5 Tampa Bay team that needs every win it can get to stay alive in the NFC South and the NFC playoff picture. The Bucs are expected to get quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) back in action on Sunday for the first time since Week 3.

However, they'll be without star receiver Emeka Egbuka (foot, concussion) for the first time all season.

That could lead to an expanded role for Irving, who was targeted 15 times out of the backfield in Mayfield's three starts this season. The veteran running back has been solid in the 2026 campaign, averaging 4.7 yards per carry across six games.

Irving has 452 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards, two rushing scores and one receiving score this season. He'll look to build on that against a Carolina defense that has allowed the most yards per carry in the league in 2026.

Let's take a look at my favorite prop for the Bucs running back now that he's set to play in Week 7.

Best Bucky Irving Prop Bet vs. Panthers in NFL Week 7

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Bucky Irving OVER 86.5 Rushing and Receiving Yards (-115)

No team in the NFL is allowing more yards per carry this season than the Panthers (5.1), and they rank 24th in the league in EPA/Rush.

So, this could be a big game for Irving, who has really come on in recent weeks, tallying 40 carries and four receptions over his last two games.

Now, Irving has only cleared this line in three of his six games in 2026, but two of them came with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Mayfield (thumb) is expected to start on Sunday, and he targeted Irving 15 times over the first three weeks of the season.

Since then, Irving has just six total targets. So, he should have a bigger workload as a pass catcher, especially with Egbuka out.

The Bucs running back is averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and he could be in line for a big game against a banged-up Carolina defense. The Bucs are lacking playmakers at this point in the season, so I’ll gladly take Irving to do it all, especially since he played a season-high 85.1 percent of the team’s snaps in Week 6.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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