Sunday, January 1, 2017

Raymond James Stadium

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The Carolina Panthers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, January 1, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium. The opening line for this game has Tampa Bay as 3.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 47.5. The Panthers are 5-9-1 against the spread and their over/under record is 7-7-1. The Buccaneers have an over/under record of 7-7-1 and they are 9-6-0 against the spread.

Cam Newton finished with 198 yards through the air for Carolina last week. He completed 18 passes out of 43 attempts for a 42% completion percentage. The Panthers were led in rushing by Jonathan Stewart, who finished with 50 yards on 11 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 5 yards per carry. Kelvin Benjamin was the team leader in receiving with a total of 63 yards and 4 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 16 yards per reception. As a team in that game Carolina got a total of 17 first downs. Of those first downs, 6 came on the ground while 10 came through the air. They ran 68 total plays for 302 yards for the game. The Panthers ran for 119 yards on 23 attempts.

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Jameis Winston finished with 277 yards passing for Tampa Bay last week. He went 23 for 35, resulting in a 66% completion percentage. The Buccaneers were led on the ground by Jacquizz Rodgers, who finished with 63 yards on 15 carries. He ended the game with an average of 4 yards per rush. Mike Evans led the team in receiving with 97 yards and 7 catches. He finished the game with an average of 14 yards per reception. Tampa Bay had 23 first downs total. 5 came from running the ball and 15 came from a pass. They ran 58 total plays for 349 yards for the contest. The Buccaneers ran for 89 yards on 21 carries as a team.

Carolina scores 24 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 14th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 19 passes on 35 attempts for a 54% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 232 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 20th in the league. The Panthers run for an average of 112 yards per game on 28 attempts for an average of 4 yards per carry. That ranks them 12th in the league. They also run 66 plays per contest and average 5.2 yards per play for an average of 344 yards per game, ranking their offense 19th overall this season. The Panthers average 20 first downs per game which ranks them 16th in the NFL. They accumulate 52.7 penalty yards per game via 6.3 penalties, which ranks 21st in the league.

Carolina allows 274 passing yards per game, ranking 32nd, and they allow 26 points per contest on defense, which ranks 27th. They give up 26 completions on 38 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 68%. The Panthers allow 90 rushing yards per game on 23 carries for an average of 3.9 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 4th in the NFL. Carolina allows 364 total yards per game including 5.6 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 23rd in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 7.1 penalties for 58.5 yards per game, ranking them 27th among NFL teams.

Tampa Bay averages 22 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 18th in the league. In the passing department, they complete 22 passes per game on 36 attempts for a 61% completion percentage. They throw for 249 yards through the air per game, ranking them 15th. The Buccaneers run for an average of 100 yards per game on 29 attempts for an average of 3.4 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 22nd on the ground. They also run 67 plays per game and average 5.2 yards per play for a total of 349 yards per game, ranking them 17th in the league on offense. The Buccaneers get an average of 21 first downs per game, which ranks 11th. They average 59.7 penalty yards per game via 6.9 penalties, ranking them 22nd in the NFL.

Tampa Bay allows an average of 254 passing yards per game, which ranks 23rd in the league. Their defense overall allows 24 points per contest, which has them ranked 17th. They give up 22 completions on 34 attempts for a completion percentage of 65% per game. The Buccaneers allow 116 rushing yards per contest on 26 carries for a 4.5 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 22nd in the NFL. Tampa Bay allows 370 total yards per game for an average of 5.9 yards per play, which ranks 26th in the league. They force 7.8 penalties for 67.7 yards in each contest, ranking 28th.

Carolina Betting Trends

Carolina is 7-7-1 against the over/under this season

Carolina has an ATS record of 5-9-1 this season

Tampa Bay Betting Trends

Tampa Bay is 7-7-1 against the over/under this season

Tampa Bay has an ATS record of 9-6-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Carolina

12/25/16 WR Devin Funchess Knee injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
12/25/16 LB Luke Kuechly Concussion doubtful Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
12/25/16 DE Ryan Delaire Knee "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
11/29/16 C Gino Gradkowski Knee IR
11/29/16 C Ryan Kalil Shoulder IR
11/25/16 OT Michael Oher Concussion IR
10/28/16 CB Teddy Williams Knee IR
10/07/16 CB Bene Benwikere None has been released
09/23/16 S Dean Marlowe Hamstring IR
08/31/16 WR LaRon Byrd Concussion IR

Tampa Bay

12/27/16 RB Doug Martin None expected to miss Sunday vs. Carolina
12/25/16 TE Cameron Brate Back injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Carolina
12/25/16 T Demar Dotson Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Carolina
12/25/16 DE William Gholston Elbow "?" Sunday vs. Carolina
12/25/16 T Gosder Cherilus Groin "?" Sunday vs. Carolina
12/06/16 WR Cecil Shorts Knee IR
11/08/16 DE Howard Jones Knee IR
11/07/16 RB Antone Smith Knee IR
11/07/16 WR Louis Murphy Knee IR
10/19/16 WR Vincent Jackson Knee IR
10/06/16 DE Noah Spence Shoulder out indefinitely
09/23/16 LB Devante Bond Hamstring IR
09/15/16 DE Jacquies Smith Knee IR
08/31/16 G J.R. Sweezy Back PUP
08/11/16 DE George Johnson Hip out for season

Josh's Pick: Take Tampa Bay -3.5

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