Preview: Panthers vs. Buccaneers · prediction, injury report, analysis
The Carolina Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 of the NFL season on Sunday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. in Mexico City) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Carolina enters at 3-2 and leads the NFC South. Tampa Bay sits at 1-5 and last in the division.
Match preview
Carolina (3-2) has won two straight and sits first in the NFC South, with a 1-0 divisional record. The Panthers did not play in Week 5.
They last beat the Eagles 25-14 in Philadelphia. Before that, they topped the Lions 32-26 at home, lost 21-18 in Cleveland and routed the Falcons 34-3 on the road.
The offense averages 29.2 points per game (146 in five games). The defense allows 24.6 (123), a figure that includes the 59 points it gave up to the Bears in Week 1.
Carolina is 1-1 at home and 2-1 on the road. Quarterback Bryce Young has taken a clear step forward in production in his fourth season, and he practiced fully all week despite a knee listing.
Tampa Bay (1-5) is last in the NFC South and 29th in the league by winning percentage. The Bucs lost 26-19 to the Steelers last week and have dropped four of their last five.
Their lone recent win was 24-16 at Dallas in Week 5. They previously fell 17-14 to Green Bay, 23-16 to Minnesota and 23-19 to Cleveland.
Tampa Bay averages 19.8 points (119 in six games) and allows 23.0 (138). The Bucs are 0-4 at home and 1-1 on the road. All four home losses came by seven points or fewer.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield injured his throwing thumb in Week 3 against Minnesota and missed three games. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels ran the offense in his absence. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka leads the team with 240 receiving yards.
Tampa Bay has won four of the last five meetings. Carolina took the December 21, 2025 game 23-20 on a 48-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal, and the Bucs answered 16-14 on January 3. Carolina leads the all-time series 26-25 across 51 games.
It is a divisional game with clear stakes. Carolina can strengthen its grip on first place, while another loss would leave Tampa Bay at 1-6.
Carolina Panthers · recent results
- WPhiladelphia Eagles 14-25 Carolina Panthers
- WCarolina Panthers 32-26 Detroit Lions
- LCleveland Browns 21-18 Carolina Panthers
- WAtlanta Falcons 3-34 Carolina Panthers
- LCarolina Panthers 37-59 Chicago Bears
Tampa Bay Buccaneers · recent results
- LTampa Bay Buccaneers 19-26 Pittsburgh Steelers
- WDallas Cowboys 16-24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- LTampa Bay Buccaneers 14-17 Green Bay Packers
- LTampa Bay Buccaneers 16-23 Minnesota Vikings
- LTampa Bay Buccaneers 19-23 Cleveland Browns
Key stats
Trends · last 5 matches
Injury report
For Carolina, outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) and Thomas Incoom (calf) were questionable on Thursday and are reported out for Sunday. Tackle Monroe Freeling (knee) and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott are listed as questionable, though both practiced fully. Quarterback Bryce Young (knee) carries no game designation.
For Tampa Bay, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (concussion/foot), tackle Luke Goedeke (calf) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (ribs) are ruled out. Baker Mayfield (right thumb) is questionable, but he practiced fully on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Running back Bucky Irving and Zyon McCollum, both dealing with illness, moved to limited practice on Thursday. Linebacker Christian Rozeboom was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games. Wide receiver David Sills was activated.
We think Carolina wins 27-20. The Panthers own the more productive offense at 29.2 points per game and play at home with Bryce Young in form. Tampa Bay will be without Egbuka, Goedeke and Winfield, and Mayfield would return after three games out. The Bucs can stay close, but we expect Carolina to finish better.