Tampa Bay Buccaneers arrive at Bank of America Stadium riding a one-game skid, walking into a Carolina Panthers team that's won two straight and looks like it's trending the right way.
Game details
| When | Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET |
| Where | Bank of America Stadium |
| TV | Fox |
| Line | Carolina Panthers -3 | O/U 44.5 (market view) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers record | 1-5 |
| Carolina Panthers record | 3-2 |
Overview
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5, L1) travel to face the Carolina Panthers (3-2, W2) on Sunday, October 25, 2026, with kickoff at 1:00 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium, broadcast on Fox. Tampa Bay has scored 119 points and allowed 138 this season, while Carolina has outscored opponents 146-123.
Tampa Bay's last outing ended in a 19-26 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, a game that went to overtime, following a 24-16 road win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Before that stretch the Buccaneers dropped games to the Green Bay Packers (14-17), the Minnesota Vikings (16-23) and the Cleveland Browns (19-23). Carolina, meanwhile, beat the Philadelphia Eagles 25-14 on the road in Week 6 and knocked off the Detroit Lions 32-26 at home in Week 4, with a loss to the Browns (18-21) and a blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons (34-3) mixed in.
Carolina is favored by 3.0 with the total set at 44.5, and the market score has the Panthers winning 24-21. The series is close overall, with Carolina leading 26-25, but Tampa Bay has won six of the last seven meetings. Head coach Todd Bowles is 6-3 against this opponent including the postseason, while Dave Canales is 1-3 in the same measure.
Key players
Bryce Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns for a 91.9 rating in Week 6 and is aiming for his seventh straight game with a touchdown pass.
Chuba Hubbard led Carolina with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 6 and is chasing his fourth straight game with 110-plus scrimmage yards.
Bucky Irving has topped 60 scrimmage yards in two of his last three games and is going for his third straight road game with 90-plus scrimmage yards and a touchdown after putting up 98 scrimmage yards in the last meeting with Carolina.
Chris Godwin Jr. has racked up 63 receptions for 863 yards and two touchdown catches in 13 career games against Carolina.
Tetairoa McMillan caught six passes for 86 yards in Week 6 and has gone for 75-plus receiving yards in five of his last six games.
Keys to the game
Tampa Bay needs Baker Mayfield, who is questionable with a thumb injury, to find rhythm quickly with Emeka Egbuka sidelined by a concussion, leaning harder on Chris Godwin Jr. underneath.
The Buccaneers have to ride Bucky Irving, who has produced 70-plus scrimmage yards in every career game he's played against Carolina.
Tampa Bay's defense has to find a way to slow down Bryce Young and Chuba Hubbard, who have both been rolling the last several weeks for Carolina.
Fantasy angles
Baker Mayfield is a risky start at 12.5 projected points given his questionable thumb status heading into Sunday.
Bucky Irving is a confident start at 12.0 projected points, especially with his track record of big scrimmage-yard games against Carolina.
Emeka Egbuka is a clear sit this week since he's out with a concussion.
Chase McLaughlin is a solid streaming option at kicker with an 8.3 point projection.
Chris Godwin Jr. is a low-end flex option at 6.0 projected points, though his career production against Carolina gives him some upside.
Prediction
The market has Carolina winning this one 24-21, and that lines up with where both teams are trending. The Panthers are riding a two-game win streak with Bryce Young throwing the ball well and Chuba Hubbard finding the end zone, while Tampa Bay is dealing with a banged-up Baker Mayfield and no Emeka Egbuka to lean on. Bucky Irving gives the Buccaneers a path to keep it close, but expect Carolina to pull away late for the 24-21 final the market projects.
Injury report
| Player | Team | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine Winfield Jr. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | S | Out |
| Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | QB | Questionable |
| Emeka Egbuka | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | Out |
| Luke Goedeke | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | OT | Out |
| Christian Rozeboom | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | LB | Did not practice (no game status yet) |
| Bam Martin-Scott | Carolina Panthers | LB | Questionable |
| Jaelan Phillips | Carolina Panthers | LB | Out |
| Monroe Freeling | Carolina Panthers | OT | Questionable |
| Thomas Incoom | Carolina Panthers | LB | Out |
Depth chart
| Pos | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|
| QB | Baker Mayfield |
| RB | Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell |
| WR | Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Ted Hurst III |
| TE | Cade Otton |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Wk6 L 19-26 vs Pittsburgh Steelers, Wk5 W 24-16 vs Dallas Cowboys, Wk4 L 14-17 vs Green Bay Packers |
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.