Panthers vs. Buccaneers: Betting odds, preview, picks and trends

Doug Martin is out and Tampa Bay’s chances of beating Carolina Thursday night probably went out the window at the same time.

The winless Buccaneers declared their star running back out of the Thursday Week 8 battle where the spread opened at 3 points and climbed all the way to -7 for the Panthers at one book monitored by OddsShark.com.

While Carolina is improving and seeking its fourth win in five games, Tampa looks terrible. Only coach Greg Schiano thinks otherwise.

The Panthers have not excelled recently in the role as road favorites, going just 1-4 ATS. But Tampa has been a toothless home underdog in recent years, bumbling to a 5-17-1 ATS the past 23 games in this situation.

Of note, seven of the past nine meetings in Tampa between these NFC South rivals have played OVER the total.

Check out the latest line moves and full matchup report details and trends, courtesy of OddsShark.com.

• The Notebook: Monte Kiffin’s revenge | Blogging the Boys

• Chicago’s 1-2 punch of pain | Windy City Gridiron

• David Roth: Live from ‘The Peyton Hillis game’

• NFL Power Rankings: We have a new No. 1

• Football Father: A first-hand account of the effects of head trauma