3 bold predictions for the Panthers vs. Bucs in Week 10

The Carolina Panthers are at home again this week after losing their fourth close game in a row.

Not all wins and losses are created equal and nobody knows that better than the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming into Week 10.

Carolina lost a nail biter on the road against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a game that wasn’t supposed to be close. The Buccaneers got bludgeoned by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in Tampa on national television. While Tampa Bay still has a path to the NFC South division title and even the No. 1 seed, the defeat led some to question if they would even make the playoffs.

As playoff windows go, the Panthers chances at making the postseason get more narrow by the week. They are underdogs this week and probably will continue to be at least three more times after this contest. Even if the NFL decides to expand to a 16-team playoff format, Carolina will probably be all-but eliminated from playoff contention by the time their Week 13 bye arrives.

However, this week might not necessarily be all gloom and doom.

While many are dismissing Tampa Bay’s fall as “one bad game,” the reality is they’ve played poorly twice in a row and barely made it past the New York Giants (2-7) on Monday Night Football.

There is still a lot of football left to be played, but the Buccaneers have looked out of sync and inconsistent as of late. If this continues, don’t be surprised if the Panthers get the win at home.

That’s not an official prediction. But here are three big and bold predictions for the NFC South contest in Charlotte.