The NFC South race comes to a head on Sunday afternoon, as the Carolina Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium in a tiebreaker for the division lead.
The Buccaneers (7–7) have dropped five of their last six games, a brutal stretch capped by back-to-back losses against the fellow NFC South rival Saints and Falcons. The Panthers (7–7) also suffered a recent loss to New Orleans, but preceded it with an upset win over the Rams.
Both teams will try to seize the upper hand before meeting once again during Week 18 in Tampa.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay enters as a three-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Carolina is listed as a +130 underdog. The game’s total is set at 45.5 points.
Here are the top player prop bets for Sunday’s Week 16 matchup between the Buccaneers and Panthers.
Buccaneers vs. Panthers Best Prop Bets
Bryce Young 200+ Pass Yards (-136)
Third-year quarterback Bryce Young has continued to develop while lifting the Panthers into a tie with the Buccaneers atop the NFC South. The former first overall pick out of Alabama has completed 63.3% of his passes for a clean 2,500 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
While the Panthers like to lean on their rush game behind the running back platoon of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, Young can move the ball through the air when needed. With the division title hanging in the balance, Carolina could look to capitalize on its greatest advantage: the passing game.
Although Tampa Bay boasts a solid run defense, the Buccaneers have surrendered the NFL’s fifth-most yards per pass attempt and the third-most total passing yards this season.
Young has topped 200 yards in two of his last four games, including a season-high 448 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. Against the Rams, who own one of the league’s most formidable run defenses, the Carolina field general leaned on his arm and completed a season-high 75% of his passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
Count on Young to follow suit against Tampa Bay’s spotty secondary on Sunday afternoon.
Bucky Irving Over 16.5 Rush Attempts (+103)
Injuries have limited Bucky Irving to just seven of Tampa Bay’s 14 games this season, thwarting him from a true sophomore breakout that both him and the Bucs were hoping for. But when he’s available, Tampa Bay has shown a clear willingness to feature him as its primary ball carrier.
The former Oregon standout leads the Buccaneers with 119 carries this season — despite playing in only half of the team’s games thus far. He has yet to record less than 14 carries in an outing and handled a season-high of 25 against the New York Jets in Week 3.
Even after missing eight straight games, Irving immediately reclaimed RB1 status with 17 carries in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals. While not much of an end zone threat, Irving consistently piles up yardage on the ground and remains a dangerous weapon against a weak rush defense.
Enter the Panthers. This season, Carolina has allowed the NFL’s 12th-most yards per carry and seventh-most rushing touchdowns.
Irving continues to demand attention on the ground. Count on the Buccaneers to utilize each tool at their disposal in the must-win matchup, and for Irving to rack up more 16.5 rush attempts for the third time this season.
