NFL Best Bets For Today (January 3): Panthers vs Buccaneers Betting Odds & Player Prop Bets

NFL week 18 is here, and there's a highly anticipated matchup ahead between the Panthers and Buccaneers.

(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The NFC South title is up for grabs and will be decided today. Gear up, bettors, we have Saturday football to bet on!

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers (8-8, 3-5 away) will square off against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 3-4 home).

The Panthers lead the Bucs 25-24 all-time, and the 2025 season will come down to this final showdown. Carolina had control of the NFC South, yet suffered two losses over the last three weeks to the Seahawks and Saints. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is somehow still alive following four straight losses to the Dolphins, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints.

If there's anything you need to know, the Bucs have dropped three of their last four games against division opponents.

At 8-8, the Panthers hold a one-game lead over Mayfield and company, and have a fairly decent chance (70 %) of making the NFL playoffs. With a high-stakes matchup ahead, this is a must-win for both squads. Carolina will make the playoffs if they win the division title, which means a victory today. If Tampa comes up victorious today, Carolina would need to bank on the Falcons to defeat the Saints.

Talk about boom-or-bust—the Panthers must win the division to stay alive. Otherwise, their season is over.

Who Will Win The NFC South: Panthers Or Buccaneers?

Just 2-8 over the last 10 games, it all comes down to this moment. With a 7-9 record, the Buccaneers remain alive after the Falcons' week 17 upset over the Rams. While it's still possible to sneak into the postseason, Tampa Bay has under a 30 % chance to do so. The winners to win the south prior to the start of the NFL season find themselves on their last leg.

Tampa will stay alive with a win today over Carolina, along with a Falcons loss/tie against the Saints.

Slim 3-point favorites, the Buccaneers have home-field advantage, and the books are predicting a close one today. With the over/under total set at 43.5 points, this matchup has the potential to be a mid-scoring game or a potential shootout.

The Buccaneers have a 60% chance of winning today, and are favored at -154 on the moneyline. With an improbable 8-8 season, the Panthers are now +130 moneyline underdogs on the road.

Overall, the Buccaneers have controlled the NFC South for the past four seasons, and the Panthers haven't been crowned division winners since 2014. Carolina has slowly rebuilt this offense, starting with the defense, Bryce Young, and Tetairoa McMillan. The question remains: Can they beat a healthy Bucs team headlined by Baker Mayfield,  Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka?

Odds Are Current As Of January 3 AT 10 A.M. ET

If you're betting on the NFL Week 18, welcome!

With plenty at stake today for both squads, this will make it an intriguing matchup to bet on.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET, and this game will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Set to broadcast on ABC, weather forecasts predict possible rain and 16 mph wind gusts at the start of the game.

It's the last regular week of the NFL season, so let's take a look at my three best bets, player prop picks, and predictions for the Jan. 3 Saturday matchup featuring the Panthers and Buccaneers. My bets include player prop bets for Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle, Bucky Irving, and more!

Are you in search of further NFL and sports betting promotions? We have compiled a list of the best sports betting offers here. 

NFL WEEK 18 BETS: Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers FanDuel Odds For January 3

MONEYLINE

• CAROLINA PANTHERS: +130
• TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: -154

SPREAD

• CAROLINA PANTHERS: +3 (-120)
• TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: -3 (-102)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER: 43.5 (-110)
• UNDER: 43.5 (-110)

BEST ODDS FOR CAROLINA PANTHERS VS TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

• BetMGM has the best odds, favoring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by three points (+100)
• The Carolina Panthers will get a road game for the ninth time this NFL season.  Caesars offers the best odds at -117, tabbing the Panthers as 3-point spread underdogs.
• Caesars and BetMGM currently offer the best odds for the game totals. BetMGM offers the best value for the under (43.5) at -105, while Caesars offers the best value for the over (43.5) at -110 odds.

Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injury Report

PANTHERS

1. Caludin Cherelus, LB: OUT
2. Tershawn Wharton, DE: QUESTIONABLE
3. Robert Rochell, CB: OUT
4. Krys Barnes, LB: QUESTIONABLE
5. Jonathan Brooks, RB: OUT

BUCCANEERS

1. Jamel Dean, CB: OUT
2. Anthony Nelson, LB: OUT
3. Calijah Kancey, DE: QUESTIONABLE
4. Ben Bredeson, C: IR
5. Cody Mauch, RG: IR

NFL Predictions for Saturday, January 3, Week 18: Panthers vs Buccaneers

NFL Player Prop Bets Today: Rico Dowdle

• Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+130 FanDuel)

On Saturday, I'm taking Rico Dowdle to score a touchdown for plus money (+130 odds) against the Buccaneers.

There are contract incentives on the line for several players, including Dowdle. Currently at 1,343 rushing yards, Dowdle will earn $1 million if he reaches 1,350 scrimmage yards. Plus, he will receive a $250,000 bonus for logging eight touchdowns. With eight on the season, he's a touchdown shy and a few yards away from a massive payday.

What better way to bet on a player, am I right? There's no doubt that Dowdle has been the lead back, although Chuba Hubbard once again entered the mix. Out snapping Dowdle 59% to 42%, I'll veer away from rushing yards here.

One thing I do know is that Dowdle had a massive rushing stretch mid-way through the NFL season, and is the Panthers' leader in rushing yards (1,066). That said, he leads all running backs with eight touchdowns (two receiving), compared to Hubbard's four.

Why Rico Dowdle Can Score A Touchdown Today

We know the Buccaneers have a solid run defense, ranking No. 12 in defensive rush DVOA. Along with that, they allow the seventh-fewest opponent rushing yards per game (104.1). While their rush defense is undeniable, Tampa Bay has performed in the middle when it comes to scoring.

The Buccaneers have allowed 10 rushing and four receiving touchdowns to running backs this season, which is the 13th most in the league. Not to mention, the defense has been proven porous, giving up 83 and 93 rushing yards to De'Vone Acane and Bijan Robinson over the last three weeks.

Calijah Kancey is questionable to return, but the truth of the matter is that the Buccaneers have suffered injuries all season long. But let's face it—while Tampa Bay has a strong defensive line, I don't trust the linebacker core. There have been several players, such as TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots) and Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions), who have scored multiple touchdowns against the Buccaneers this season.

Final Panthers vs Buccaneers NFL betting prediction: Rico Dowdle Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+130 Fanatics)

Dowdle, by far, has been the leading red zone scorer, rushing for 78 yards on 33 attempts for six touchdowns. It does worry me a bit that he's had one rushing touchdown inside the 20-yard line since week 11, but had five from weeks 2-10.

Overall, the Panthers could improve in the red zone (51.16 % scoring rate), but the Buccaneers allow the third-highest scoring rate in the red zone (68.29 %) among NFL teams.

• I'm taking Rico Dowdle to score a touchdown today. He's scored two against zone defenses this season, and there are plenty of incentives on the line in a must-win game.

NFL Player Prop Bets Today: Bryce Young

• 20+ Rushing Yards (-135 FanDuel)

My second-best bet for today, I placed one unit on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to record 20+ rushing yards.

Young has taken a leap forward, recording 2,745 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 217 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. Now in his third season with the Panthers, Young has a 5.4 % sack rate. Set to face a Buccaneers' defensive line that includes Yaya Diaby, Vita Vea, and Logan Hall, he will be pressured.

Young isn't Josh Allen or Jaxson Dart; he's not going to rush for three touchdowns today (or maybe so?). However, Young has been far more useful utilizing his legs, especially over the past five weeks.

Soaring over this player prop line in four straight games, Young is averaging nearly 30 rushing yards per game over that span, and has recorded 25 carries alone over those four games.

Fresh off a season-high of nine carries, Young rushed for 27 yards against a stingy Seahawks defense, and 49 against the Saints two weeks prior.

Although Bryce Young and the team have faced the Buccaneers just once this season, Young's increased run game has contributed to first downs and scoring plays. Moving the chains with his legs, Young rushed for 20 yards on four carries against the Buccaneers two weeks ago.

Final Panthers vs Buccaneers NFL betting prediction: Bryce Young 20+ Rushing Yards (-135 FanDuel)

I truly don't trust the Panthers' run game as of late, and the Buccaneers have a blitz rate of over 30%. Trust me when I say that Young will be running today. Let's not forget the Buccaneers allow the fifth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks. Aside from Young, Tyler Shough (55), Josh Allen (40), and Jalen Hurts (62) are just a few signal callers who have cleared this prop line.

• I'm taking Bryce Young to record over 19.5 rushing yards today. In a must-win game, he's cleared this line in four straight games and will keep it going in a do-or-die matchup. These are the type of matchups where players will do anything to move the chains. 

NFL Player Prop Bets Today: Bucky Irving

• Over 59.5 Rushing Yards (-112 FanDuel)

My third-best bet for today, I placed one unit on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving to record over 59.5 rushing yards.

We all know that head coach Todd Bowles has continued to deploy a running back committee involving both Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. Can you blame him? One could argue that both Irving and White could serve as lead RB1s on other teams.

We can forget last week's 20-17 loss against the Dolphins. While both backs combined for just 29 rushing yards, the run game was abysmal. Prior to that, Irving has been one of the more consistent running backs in the NFL. Truly, that's something I analyze when picking my bets for the week.

While White leads the team with 549 rushing yards, Irving is second with 503. And let's face it—if he didn't suffer injuries, his role would have exploded.

Why Bucky Irving Can Feast Against the Panthers Today

Whether Bowles utilizes both in a must-win scenario or not, I'm all in on Irving. Not only has he cleared this player prop line in 6/9 games this season, but he's also soared over 60+ rushing yards in 5 of the last 7 games. If anything, he's hovered around 60-70 rushing yards per game.

Leading all Tampa running backs with a 54% snap count last week, he's compiled 147 carries, including 76 over the past five games. With injury, 3.4 yards per carry is nothing to brag about. However, the volume of carries has been consistent.

Today is a prime matchup for Irving, who faces a Panthers' defense that allows the fifth-most rushing yards to running backs. Ranking No. 25 in defensive rush DVOA, stopping the run isn't their strong suit, and the Panthers give up 122.3 yards on the ground per game.

Am I really going to fade Irving in a must-win game where the Panthers allow over 105 rushing yards per game to running backs? This year, we saw a stretch where several running backs crushed this line in five straight weeks. That includes Christian McCaffrey (89 yards), Bijan Robinson (104 yards), Alvin Kamara (83 yards), Josh Jacobs (87 yards), and James Cook (216 yards).

Final Panthers vs Buccaneers NFL betting prediction: Bucky Irving Over 59.5 Rushing Yards (-112 FanDuel)

Last facing the Panthers just two weeks ago, Irving exploded for 71 yards on 19 carries against Carolina. With Baker Mayfield and White scrambling for 49 and 45 rushing yards, Irving was the clear lead back in that matchup.

Overall, if the Buccaneers get Tristan Wirf back today, that will provide a huge boost for the offensive line. While Irving has disappointed some in his second season, Zach Charbonnet just torched Carolina for 110 rushing yards.

• I'm taking Bucky Irving to record over 59.5 rushing yards today. This is a prime matchup for the back, and I'm sold on his volume alone. We are talking about a Panthers' team that ranks No. 27 in rush EPA—he should feast here.