Can Anderson lead Panthers to win?
CHARLOTTE, NC (The Spread) – The Carolina Panthers will have Derek Anderson under center this Sunday when they take on NFC South foe, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at 1PM ET on FOX.
Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak last week with a very surprising 41-10 win at New Orleans last Sunday. Despite the big win, the Panthers had some bad luck this week as Cam Newton suffered a broken back during a car accident on Tuesday. The injury will keep him from playing, which puts Anderson under center. The Panthers are 4-8-1 on the season, ½ a game behind New Orleans and Atlanta for first in the division. Carolina is also 7-6 against the spread this season, covering in two of its last three games.
Tampa Bay is coming off a 34-17 loss at Detroit last week for its third straight loss. The Bucs are now just 2-11 on the season and out of playoff contention despite being in a league with 5-8 leaders. The Bucs are 5-8 against the spread this year, but 4-2 against the spread in their last six road games.
Oddsmakers like Panthers despite the lack of Newton, as oddsmakers from BetDSI have given Carolina favored by 3 points. The over/under total for the game has been set at 41 points (View Matchup). Carolina has won three straight over Tampa Bay coming into this game, covering the spread in all three games.
Amazingly enough, this same scenario played out in the season opener as Newton had a rib injury that kept him from playing. Anderson started at Tampa Bay and led the Panthers to a 20-14 victory. He went 24 of 34 passing for 230 yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense. Defensively, Carolina dominated Tampa Bay, holding the Bucs to 264 total yards while forcing three turnovers.
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