The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t clinch the division against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. Not every team gets a second chance, but Tampa Bay will.
The Bucs will win the NFC South with a win over the 2-14 Carolina Panthers after failing to do so against the Saints. The stakes are a bit higher than that, though, as if the team loses against the Panthers, it’ll be removed from playoff contention entirely. Tampa Bay came out flat against New Orleans in Week 17, and it’ll be sure to rectify that mistake when it plays what is essentially a de facto playoff game in Charlotte.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are dangerous because they have nothing to lose. The team doesn’t have a first-round pick and in a way control Tampa Bay’s destiny as well, so there will certainly be motivation to beat the Bucs and knock them out of playoff contention. The team may be the worst in the NFL, but players and coaches in Tampa Bay have stressed that they aren’t pushovers.
According to BetMGM, the Bucs are 4.5-point favorites over the Panthers. The over/under is set at 37.5.
Will Tampa Bay clinch the NFC South (for real this time)? Or will the Panthers play spoiler and knock out a division rival?
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