The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, with Carolina listed as a 3-point favorite and the total set at 44.5. To find the best Buccaneers vs. Panthers player props, we turn to the BettingPros Prop Bet Cheat Sheet's projections and market comparisons. The supplied season results show +28 units overall, including +11.5 units and a 14.3% ROI on anytime touchdown picks. Read on for our favorite NFL player prop bets for this NFC South matchup.
NFL Player Props, Picks & Predictions: Buccaneers vs. Panthers
Here are some of Andrew Erickson’s predictions for Buccaneers vs. Panthers. And check out all of his top picks for NFL Week 7.
Buccaneers vs. Panthers Preview & Picks
I’m on the Panthers. And I love that you get them at home for less than a field goal. Bryce Young is playing his best football, and Baker Mayfield’s return doesn’t mean you can escape the Cardiac Cats.
The Buccaneers’ offense was struggling immensely even before Mayfield got hurt. He hasn’t covered in any of his last 12 starts, and the market has continued to dramatically overrate Tampa Bay since the second half of last season. Their last cover came against Dallas with the backup quarterback (and an 8.5-point spread). It also remains to be seen how Mayfield will play in his first game back from injury. That was part of why he played so poorly last season.
The 2.5-point line shows respect for an in-division matchup (divisional underdogs are 19-5 ATS), but it feels like Carolina is getting zero credit for their impressive 3-2 start. I can’t understand how the Buccaneers would be slight favorites on a neutral field given the 2.5-point spread (especially without No. 1 WR Emeka Egbuka).
Again, these tight-spread divisional games can always feel like traps, so I won’t make Carolina -2.5 an official play (though that is my lean).
The sharper move might be on the over: Road divisional teams are 9-4 toward the over this season, averaging 49.8 points against a 45.4 total. Carolina is 2-0 at home to the over.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Bryce Young has thrown for 593 yards against the blitz this season, the second-most in the NFL, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt (fifth in the NFL) without throwing an interception.
Young’s explosive play rate against the blitz is a league-high 26.1%, up 11.3 percentage points from 14.8% against four or fewer pass-rushers. The Buccaneers have blitzed on 43.8% of passing plays this season (third-highest in the league), allowing just 6.1 yards per attempt when doing so (ninth-fewest).
For an additional player prop, I like Kenneth Gainwell to go OVER 10.5 rushing yards. His coaches have been adamant about getting him more snaps this week (S/O to the @CoachSpeakIndex Discord), and Gainwell has hit this number in back-to-back games. The Panthers’ run defense is poor - allowing the most yards per carry (5.1) in the NFL, along with the most yards after contact per attempt.
Props & Picks
- Kenneth Gainwell OVER 10.5 Rushing Yards
- Over 44.5 Points
- Panthers -2.5
Best NFL Same Game Parlay for Buccaneers vs. Panthers
Here is our top NFL same game parlay for Buccaneers vs. Panthers. And you can view all of our Week 7 NFL same game parlays.
- Leg 1: Bucky Irving 60+ Rushing Yards (-152)
- Leg 2: Bucky Irving 14+ Rushing Attempts (-208)
- Leg 3: Bucky Irving Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+115)
- Leg 4: Chuba Hubbard Under 67.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
Baker Mayfield is expected back for Tampa Bay this week. His return should improve the offense, but a run-heavy game plan could still be in order. The Panthers are allowing a league-high 5.1 yards per carry this season. They're also allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game.
That brings us to Bucky Irving, who should be the focal point of Tampa's offense. The matchup is one thing, but Mayfield playing with an injured thumb could lead to plenty of carries for Irving. The Bucs' tailback is averaging 17.5 rushing attempts over the past five games, with at least 15 carries in each.
Irving is also averaging 81.4 rushing yards over the past five games. Plus, he's gaining a healthy 4.7 yards per carry this season. Hitting both the 60+ yards and 14+ carries lines is very attainable with his form and this matchup. Plus, count on Irving to score. Carolina has allowed six rushing touchdowns to opposing RBs, tied for the third-most in the league.
Meanwhile, the other running back in this game could be held in check. Tampa Bay boasts a strong rush defense. The Bucs' 3.4 yards per carry and 75.5 rushing yards per game allowed are both the second-best in the NFL. Chuba Hubbard has reeled off 120+ yards in back-to-back games, but that also came against a poor Lions defense and a struggling Eagles unit. Tampa can rein him in this week.
Parlay Odds: +410
Best NFL Player Props for Buccaneers vs. Panthers
We compiled several projection sources to come up with consensus projections. We then compared these projections to the NFL player prop bet odds from the sportsbooks to give you the best NFL player prop bet picks. View the best player prop bets for this week’s slate with our NFL Prop Bet Cheat Sheet.
Our NFL Player Prop Bet Cheat Sheet assists bettors by comparing lines from leading sportsbooks with our daily NFL projections.
What is an NFL player prop bet?
An NFL player prop bet is a type of wager where you’re betting on the performance of a specific player in a game rather than the overall outcome. For example, you might place a bet on how many passing yards a quarterback will throw for, or how many touchdowns a running back will score. It’s a fun way to get more invested in the action, especially if you’re confident in how a particular player will perform, regardless of who wins or loses the game. It’s like focusing on one slice of the pie instead of the whole thing.
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