Spread & Over/Under Predictions for Panthers @ Buccaneers
Each week, we at All Panthers will release an article on our thoughts on the spread and the over/under of Carolina Panther games. The star ratings next to the play describe the overall confidence in that particular play.
Star ratings:
1 Star - Not very confident
2 Star - A little confident
3 Star - Fairly confident
4 Star - Very confident
5 Star - Should be a lock to happen
Spread: TB -8
3 Star play on Buccaneers covering: Tampa Bay's offense was stale during their week one matchup vs the Saints and turned the ball over three times, including one pick six. That's not going to happen this week. Tom Brady is going to have a huge advantage by being able to pick apart this young Panthers secondary with his plethora of weapons. The Bucs shut down Christian McCaffrey in two games last year to just 68 rushing yards. The Tampa front seven is legit and could be one of the best run defenses in the league. If McCaffrey is a non-factor, there's no way the Panthers can cover. Even if he does have himself a day, Tampa has a strong chance to still win by more than eight.
Over/Under: 47.5
2 Star play on the over: I'm certain that Tampa will get their points, but will Carolina? This seems like the kind of game that the Panthers' offense sputters early and often and gets in a hole in the first half. When a young team gets down two scores early, they tend to press and try to get it all back in one play. I've got Tampa 34-14, which just barely crosses the over.
