Buffalo's playoff hopes are suddenly hanging in the balance after a tough overtime loss against Tampa Bay in Week 14. The Bills will look to hold on to their wild card spot in Week 15 when they host the reeling Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium. Which team will end its losing skid in this game? Here's a breakdown of the Panthers vs Bills clash.
Carolina Panthers installed as +11 underdogs
Carolina's losing woes show no sign of ending as the Panthers crashed to their third consecutive defeat with a 29-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers are languishing at the bottom of the NFC South standings with an abysmal 5-8 record as they now trail the Bucs by a massive five games in the division.
To make matters worse for the Panthers, they dropped down to 12th place in the NFC with the loss to Atlanta. That is disappointing for the Panthers, who held a 3-0 record at one stage. Injuries have wrecked their once-promising season, with Carolina missing the services of quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Christian McCaffrey.
For the Panthers to grab the upset win against the Bills, they will need to get a much-improved showing from Cam Newton. He struggled in the loss to the Falcons, completing just 15 of 23 passes for 178 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. The pick he threw proved costly as Falcons linebacker Mykal Walker returned that for 66 yards for a touchdown.
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Buffalo Bills enter Week 15 as -11 favorites
The Buffalo Bills lost for the fifth time in eight games, suffering a gut-wrenching 33-27 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an overtime thriller in Week 14. The Bills had no answer for nemesis Tom Brady, who threw for 363 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Bills, who lost more ground to New England in the race for the AFC East title. They trail the Patriots by two games following their loss to the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Bills are locked in a tight battle for the final wild-card spot in the conference, with Buffalo sitting in seventh place in the AFC standings.
The main concern now for the Bills is the health situation of franchise quarterback Josh Allen. He suffered a left foot sprain during the fourth quarter loss to the Bucs and was spotted wearing a walking boot after the game. Allen is considered day-to-day, according to coach Sean McDermott.
Allen was visibly in pain throughout the contest but still played lights out football as he nearly guided the Bills to a memorable come-from-behind win in Tampa. He completed 36 of 54 passes for 308 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Week 14. Allen was also a major threat on the ground, running for 109 yards and a score on 12 carries.
Writer's Prediction
Buffalo wins and covers the spread.
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