Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Picks and Prediction for Sunday October 25 2026

NFC South Division foes will collide when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Carolina Panthers. The game is scheduled for Sunday October 25, 2026 at 1:00 pm EST. FOX will televise this week seven matchup from Bank of American Stadium. The Panthers are a 3.5 point home favorite and the total is sitting at 44.5. Be sure to check out our free NFL picks for more NFL predictions throughout the season.

Tampa Bay off to a disappointing start

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have split their first two road games and are stuck in the NFC South Division basement. The Buccaneers (1-5) are playing without injured QB Baker Mayfield (615 pass yds) and have one of the worst offensive lines in football. On Sunday, Tampa Bay was unable to protect a 13-point fourth quarter lead during a 26-19 overtime loss versus Pittsburgh.

Tampa Bay K Chase McLaughlin nailed a 53-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Emeka Egbuka caught a two-yard touchdown pass and finished with 48 receiving yards. Bucky Irving added 46 yards on the ground for the Buccaneers, who turned the ball over twice. 

The Buccaneers rank in the bottom ten of the league in total offense (292.7 ypg) and are averaging 19.8 points per game. Bucky Irving is the team-leader with 452 rushing yards on 96 carries. Tampa Bay are a top four defense (299.5 ypg) and are giving up 23 points on average.

Carolina sitting stop the division standings

Despite losing nine games a season ago, the Carolina Panthers won the NFC South Division title and lost in the Wild Card round. The Panthers (4-2) surrendered 59 points in a season opening loss versus Chicago, but are the only team in the division with a winning record. On Sunday, Carolina took advantage of Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts’ absence to earn a 25-14 road victory. 

Carolina RB Chuba Hubbard shouldered the load on the ground with 120 yards and a score. QB Bryce Young completed 20 of 39 passes for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jalen Coker contributed 97 receiving yards for the Panthers, who outgained the Eagles by a 399-222 margin. 

Former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator and current Carolina head coach Dave Canales has his squad ranked second in total offense (29.2 ppg). Bryce Young is sixth in the NFL with 1,549 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. The Panthers own a plus three turnover differential and are giving up 24.6 points per contest.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Carolina Panthers -3.5

Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield (thumb) is expected to return to practice this week and is listed as questionable for this game. These two division rivals split their two meetings a season ago, with each winning on their home field. The Buccaneers are poorly coached and that is reflected in their 1-5 ATS mark. Take the Panthers to cover at home.

Pick: Under 44.5

Carolina comes into this week with a 2-3 O/U record and their games are staying under by an average of nine points. Tampa Bay is a mess along the offensive line and plays at the sixth slowest tempo. The Buccaneers are scoring touchdowns on less than half of their red zone trips. Take the under.

Final Score Prediction: Carolina Pamthers 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16