Buccaneers Panthers Betting – NFC South Division Rivals Battle In Carolina Sunday
Despite their preseason rankings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers opened their 2010 betting on NFL season on quite different notes than were probably expected. Underdogs to the visiting Cleveland Browns, the Buccaneers took their home opener 17-14 after cornerback Ronder Barber intercepted Browns’ quarterback Jake Delhomme and took the ball to the house for a touchdown. Delhomme did his old team the Panthers no favor by throwing away the game, as Tampa Bay moved one spot ahead of Carolina in the standings after the black-and-blue fell to the New York Giants 31-18 on the road.
NFL Betting: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Online Sports Betting: Panthers – 3.5
Why To Bet On The Buccaneers?
Tampa Bay did just enough to stay close with the Browns until late in the second quarter, allowing Barber to score the winning touchdown off a Delhomme interception. The team was projected to repeat as the worst in the NFC South again this year, but surprised at least a few people after falling behind by as much as 11 at one point, roaring back with consecutive touchdown scores to get the victory. Josh Freeman wasn’t terrible at quarterback, throwing for nearly 182 yards, a pair of touchdowns and one interception. The offense got little from running backs Carnell Williams and Ernest Graham, who combined for a modest yards per carry of just 2.5. Despite their offensive struggles, the Buccaneers’ defense kept this game close before eventually scoring the winning touchdown. Tampa Bay will need a similar effort as well as improved offense to have a chance at a tough road game against a divisional opponent.
Why To Bet On The Panthers?
Carolina looked good early on in the first half of their loss to the Giants, escaping the second quarter with 16-14 lead, before allowing the Giants to score 17 straight points in the third and fourth quarters to pull ahead. The biggest problem for Carolina was stalled drives, which resulted in three field goal kicks from John Kasey in the first half, something that they will need to improve on to get into the win column. The passing defense had troubles against both the run and the pass, as the Giants combined for 376 total yards. The Panthers will need their defense to play bigger against an online sportsbook Buccaneers team with far less talent than New York.
How The Games Will Play Out
While the Buccaneers currently stand atop the NFC South standings alongside the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, that run will end this week after a visit to Carolina. Tampa Bay was fortunate to play one of the worst teams in the AFC at home, and will be in for a rude awakening against a Panthers’ team looking to open their home schedule by making a big impression.
Buccaneers Panthers Betting Pick: Panthers – 3.5
