The Carolina Panthers (6-9) have a great opportunity to steal the NFC South from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ (7-8) grasp in Week 17, although they’ll be playing the role of underdog when they head down to Tampa for the Sunday afternoon matchup. With so much on the line, let’s take a peek at the Panthers-Buccaneers weather report and see if there will be any external factors that will affect the game.
Panthers-Buccaneers Weather Report
Per The Weather Channel, Tampa Bay is currently under a fog advisory on a hot and humid day, but that warning is only until 10 a.m. ET. The conditions at kickoff are predicted to remain cloudy and humid, with temperatures in the low 70s. There will be little to no wind, making for a hot, sticky and (possibly) foggy afternoon at Raymond James Stadium.
The Panthers will enter as 3.5-point underdogs (per DraftKings), but that shouldn’t bother them too much. When the team fired head coach Matt Rhule and traded away star running back Christian McCaffrey midseason, few thought Carolina would be fighting for a chance to win the NFC South in Week 17. If the Panthers lose to the Bucs on Sunday, their playoff hopes are officially dead. But if they can pull off the upset, they’ll win the division with a win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 18.
“I thought the focus was fine,” Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said following a Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Panthers Wire. “The execution did not prevail. And still not worrying about it last week, not worrying about it now. We gotta worry about trying to get ourselves right to win a football game. I don’t want anybody in this building talking playoffs.”
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers enter the Panthers matchup with a much clearer playoff scenario: Win and they are in. Although it’s been an extremely frustrating year for a team that entered the 2022-23 season with Super Bowl aspirations, they have a golden opportunity to put the frustrations aside and focus on the playoffs with a win on Sunday.
Luckily, the Panthers-Buccaneers weather report shouldn’t play a high role in the high-stakes affair. If you’re looking to bet on the game — or any other Week 17 matchup — be sure to check OddsShopper’s tools for the best odds on moneylines, spreads, totals or player props!
