Carolina Panthers vs. Buccaneers early odds and prediction for Week 7

Steve Wilks and the Carolina Panthers look to finally get their season on track when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Bank of America Stadium.

Any brief optimism surrounding the Carolina Panthers following their decision to fire Matt Rhule was extinguished quickly at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. Yet more offensive failings under Ben McAdoo provied to be their undoing, with quarterback P.J. Walker completing just a solitary pass beyond the line of scrimmage en route to a fifth defeat of the 2022 campaign.

Steve Wilks has his work cut out on and off the field. His decision to approve Robbie Anderson’s trade to the Arizona Cardinals just a few hours after he was sent to the locker room sent a strong message that any internal dissention won’t be tolerated in pursuit of turning around this concerning slump.

Things don’t get any easier for Wilks this weekend when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Bank of America Stadium. They are currently tied atop the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons of all teams after an indifferent 3-3 start, but they cannot be taken lightly with a wealth of experience who’ve already tasted Super Bowl glory in 2020.

This is going to take a substantial effort and rise in confidence from the Panthers. Whether Wilks can galvanize this unit after another demoralizing loss is another matter.

Carolina Panthers vs. Buccaneers odds for Week 7

According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Panthers are 10.5-point underdogs to the Buccaneers on home soil. A damning indictment of how things are currently transpiring within the organization.

Carolina is available at +385 on the money line (bet $100 to win $385), with Tampa Bay clear favorites to get their campaign back on track at -500 (bet $500 to win $100).

FanDuel is not anticipating a high-scoring affair by any stretch. The over/under for Week 7 has been set at 40.5 points, with the over available at -112 (bet $112 to win $100) and the under -108 (bet $108 to win $100).

Carolina Panthers vs. Buccaneers prediction for Week 7

Judging how things went for the Panthers in Week 6, it’s hard to say with any confidence things can improve drastically in such a short space of time. The Buccaneers aren’t setting the world alight either, but at least they have continuity and a quarterback in Tom Brady who’s proven to bounce back often following a defeat.

Much will depend on how Carolina deploys under center for this one. There is talk of Sam Darnold coming back into the fold if Baker Mayfield cannot participate, which is a desperate hope things can start clicking on offense after so much lackluster production.

It’s difficult to predict anything other than a Tampa Bay win when one examines everything associated with this game. The Buccaneers are not a lock by any means and there also promises to be a much better atmosphere around the stadium in the first home game following Rhule’s dismissal.

This might help spur Carolina on to improved effort. But the Bucs and Brady have had their number in recent years and it would be a massive shock if that didn’t continue in Week 7.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.