The NFC South is an appalling division this year, but has remained competitive albeit at a basement level.
Tampa lead it (with a losing record) after scraping past the anaemic Cardinals last week. They have seven wins, but that could easily just be four or five without a couple of Brady-led 4th Quarter fightbacks - the Rams and 2nd Saints games in particular should probably both have been losses.
Carolina beat the Buccs 21-3 mid-season, and arrive here knowing a victory will go a long way to pushing them into the play-offs. They also come here off a good win over the crazy gang Lions.
The Panthers are (potentially) a physical, capable, mid-ranking defensive unit and Sam Darnold has returned from injury in what looks like solid form. It feels like they are playing better football right now.
It also feels like Tampa are miserable and limping reluctantly through to the end of the season. If they end up in the Superbowl - which 'could' happen - you definitely didn't hear it first and I'll be eating large quantities of hat through February and March!
The bang-average, sub-500, soon-to-be-statistically-remodelled Predictor has this as Carolina Panthers 24-21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coupled with the fact that Carolina are 6/4 and larger, the Panthers are selected as the value option to win this game.