OVER the Play When Buccaneers, Panthers Meet Up in Week 2

It was a less-than-impressive start to the Tom Brady era with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – but oddsmakers are digging a rebound as Brady and the Bucs host the division rival Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Tampa Bay (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) looked ordinary in a 34-23 loss to New Orleans in Week 1 but is a hefty favorite vs a Carolina team (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) that fell 34-30 to Las Vegas.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Tampa Bay opened this NFC South matchup as an 8.5-point favorite, but that line has shifted to between -9 and -10 depending on where you shop. The total has also risen, from 47.5 up to 49 in most spots.

Carolina News & Notes

The Panthers offense ran rather smoothly in its first game with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. Bridgewater threw for 270 yards and a touchdown while adding 26 rushing yards; he showed tremendous chemistry with Robby Anderson, who erupted for 115 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches in his first game since joining the Panthers over the offseason.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention all-world running back Christian McCaffrey as well. Coming off a terrific 2019 season, McCaffrey picked up right where he left off, amassing 134 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. That makes for a hefty DFS price tag in Week 2 – and it’s worth considering that McCaffrey had just 68 rushing yards on 38 carries vs Tampa Bay in 2019.

Tampa Bay News & Notes

Brady’s performance was uneven to say the least: he finished with 239 passing yards while throwing a pair of TD passes and two interceptions. But one of those picks can be blamed squarely on new teammate Mike Evans; the veteran wide receiver stopped running a route just as Brady threw the pass, and it was promptly intercepted by Janoris Jenkins and returned for a touchdown.

Brady’s performance isn’t the only one leaving doubts in the minds of bettors and daily fantasy players alike. Leonard Fournette was acquired to bolster the Tampa Bay backfield but wound up with just five carries for five yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who came out of retirement to join TB12 in Tampa, finished with two catches for 11 yards on three targets.

Betting Pick: OVER 49 (-110)

Both of these teams have dangerous offenses, and both have defenses that can be exploited. Look for Brady to excel in his second game with his new team, while the Bucs struggle to contain Bridgewater and a suddenly balanced Carolina offense.