Every Friday during the season, ESPN betting analysts Joe Fortenbaugh, Doug Kezirian and Preston Johnson, sports betting deputy editor David Bearman, Fantasy's Mike Clay, and Matt Youmans of the Vegas Stats & Information Network will tell us what they like from Sunday's NFL slate:
Season ATS records:
Fortenbaugh 2-3 (10-11 on season)
Youmans 2-2 (14-6)
Kezirian 1-0 (8-5)
Bearman 1-1 (4-4-1)
Clay 1-1 (5-4)
Johnson 1-0 (9-12)
Note: Caesars Sportsbook lines as of Thursday night; all times Eastern.
9:30 a.m. game
Carolina Panthers (-2.5, 47.5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in London)
Fortenbaugh: This is a brutal scheduling spot for Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers, who have spent the past five weeks crisscrossing the planet as follows: at Carolina, vs. New York Giants, at Los Angeles to play the Rams, at New Orleans and, this weekend, in London to "host" the Panthers. That type of travel will wreak havoc on a person's circadian rhythm. On the flip side, the Panthers have quietly become a much more effective football team in the quarterback transition from Cam Newton to Kyle Allen, posting a 3-0 record while averaging a robust 29.3 points per game. As for Allen, he suits offensive coordinator Norv Turner's vertical passing attack quite naturally, completing 66.6% of his passes with five touchdowns, zero interceptions and a healthy 7.49 yards per attempt. And for those of you who believe in "revenge spots," this game fits the bill following Tampa's 20-14 upset victory at Carolina back in Week 2.