NFL Football Betting – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
The lead in the NFC South is on the line on Monday night when the Carolina Panthers (9-3 SU, 6-5-1 ATS) play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3 SU, 7-5 ATS) in a matchup between two likely NFC playoff teams in NFL pro football sports betting action that is slated for an 8:30 PM ET kickoff at Bank of America Stadium (natural turf) in Charlotte.
In the BetUS NFL football betting odds, the Panthers are listed as a three-point favorite, with a posted total of 38 points.
BetUS NFL betting odds: CAROLINA -3, Total 38
NOTABLE STAT: Tampa Bay has 17 interceptions on the season
KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Tampa Bay is 7-16 SU in its last 23 on road
In the BetUS NFL football betting odds, the Panthers are listed as a three-point favorite, with a posted total of 38 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* TB has covered two of its last six games
* TB has won six of its last seven games SU
* TB has played six of its last eight games UNDER the total
* TB has lost 16 of its last 23 road games SU
* TB has played eight of its last ten road games OVER the total
* CAR has won five of its last six games SU
* CAR has played four of its last five games OVER the total
* CAR is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine home games
* CAR has won its last six home games SU
* CAR has played ten of its last 13 home games UNDER the total
Also…
* CAR has covered ten of the last 15 meetings
* CAR has won eight of the last 11 meetings SU
* Eleven of the last 16 meetings have gone UNDER the total
* CAR has covered five of the last seven meetings as the home team
* Seven of the last eight meetings in Charlotte have gone UNDER the total
These teams are somewhat similar, in that they have a penchant for winning ugly, like to emphasize the running game, are tough on defense, and not particularly spectacular in their offensive attack. They also both have 9-3 records, which means this is a battle for the lead in the ultra-competitive NFC South division.
To his credit, Jon Gruden has done a good job in keeping Tampa Bay’s running game together, despite injuries that have taken key performers out over the last couple of seasons. However, it was hoped that Cadillac Williams could do something meaningful coming back from his injury, but that’s nothing for the Bucs to take for granted, since Williams has only 47 yards on 20 carries. It might be a safer assumption that Carolina’s own Williams – D’Angelo – and Jonathan Stewart will be much more productive than the 39 yards they combined for when these two teams met up on October 12, when Tampa Bay ran away with a 27-3 win, which incidentally was the Panthers’ first loss at Raymond James Stadium in five trips.
With 17 interceptions, Tampa Bay’s Cover 2 defense, the brainchild of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin (will he eventually be off to Tennessee to join son Lane?) is a genuine threat to Jake Delhomme, who tossed three picks in the previous meeting. Delhomme, who has completed 61% of his passes in his career against Tampa Bay, will have to do much better for his Panthers to have a chance. Of course, if the Williams-Stewart combo, which has combined for 1541 yards, plays as expected, that’s going to be taken care of. And one of the big factors here is Steve Smith, the only receiver on either team who scares anyone. When he gets hot, he has been known to carry his team, and he is getting hot now, with 273 yards in his last two games. Oh, and look who’s worked himself back into All-Pro form with 11 sacks on the season? It’s Julius Peppers, the three-time Pro Bowler who is back terrorizing quarterbacks and will be a pain in the ass for Jeff Garcia, who hasn’t had to deal with a lot of that this season.
Tampa Bay’s offense has had some difficulty moving the ball of late, gaining just 255 and 254 total yards in the last two weeks. And what should worry Bucs’ fans is that they are not necessarily road warriors, losing 16 of their last 23 road games, while the Panthers have won six games in a row at Bank of America Stadium. While both teams are likely playoff participants, this division race is over if Tampa Bay escapes Charlotte with a victor, by virtue of their series sweep. But the Panthers have covered the last seven meetings that have been held in this building. If there is any time to “hold serve,” this is it.
So we’ll lay the points with Carolina, the three-point favorite in the BetUS NFL pro football sports betting odds.
