The NFC South battle between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday certainly looks like a mismatch on paper -- Carolina hasn't lost a regular-season game since last November and Tampa Bay has one win in its last nine games. The experts agree, with nearly all of them picking the Panthers to remain undefeated through Week 4.
NFL picks and predictions, Panthers vs. Buccaneers 2015: Carolina is near-unanimous pick on the road
The Buccaneers have lost 10 straight home games while the Panthers have won seven regular-season games in a row. Are you really going to pick against Carolina?
The Panthers are off to their best start since 2003, a season that ended in the franchise's only trip to the Super Bowl. That's not the only positive historical karma surrounding this team. This 3-0 September comes on the heels of a 4-0 record in December last season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last three teams with a perfect ledger in September after going 4-0 or better the previous December all reached the Super Bowl: the Colts in 2009, and the Seahawks and Broncos in 2013.
If there is one thing that could stall this Panthers team it is a weak supporting cast on offense for Cam Newton. They really lack playmakers outside of their dynamic quarterback and it’s tough ask him to shoulder so much of the load every week. Newton has accounted for all seven of the Panthers’ offensive touchdowns this season, with five passing scores and two on the ground.
Tampa Bay got a confidence-building win in New Orleans two weeks ago, but couldn't sustain that momentum and suffered a tough loss to the Texans in Week 3. Despite being outplayed in the trenches, it was a winnable game for the Bucs, if not for an awful performance by their kicker. Kyle Brindza did make an early 58-yard field goal, but then missed attempts of 33, 41 and 57 yards, along with an extra point. When the kicking game leaves 10 points on the board in a 10-point loss, it's probably an issue that needs to be addressed.
For most teams, returning home to face a division rival would set up perfectly for a nice bounceback win. The problem is, the Bucs aren’t most teams. Tampa Bay has lost 10 straight games at Raymond James Stadium dating back to December 2013, the league’s longest active home losing streak and the second-longest in franchise history.
As for the experts’ opinion on this game, it’s a clean sweep over at CBS Sports, where all eight of the guys are taking the Panthers on the road. Here at SB Nation, there is one brave human (Joel Thorman), plus a brave computer (OddsShark), picking the Bucs.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark Computer | |
| CAR @ TB | CAR | CAR | TB | CAR | CAR | CAR | CAR | TB |
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