Buccaneers vs. Panthers score: Live updates, game stats, highlights, analysis with NFC South title on the line

The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle it out from Raymond James Stadium with the NFC South on the line. The Buccaneers can clinch the split in Week 17 with a win, while the Panthers need to win here and defeat the New Orleans Saints next week to earn their first playoff spot since 2017.

This game couldn’t have started better for the Panthers. Sam Darnold led a six-play, 75-yard drive, which was capped off with a 17-yard touchdown by Tommy Tremble. Then safety Sam Franklin took the ball away from Chris Godwin on the Buccaneers’ first possession of the game. Later in the second quarter, Darnold hit DJ Moore for a 24-yard touchdown to go up 14-0, but Tom Brady responded with a 63-yard touchdown bomb to Mike Evans.

Will the Panthers sweep the season streak against the Bucs and get closer to a division title, or will Brady wrap things up here in Week 17? Follow the live blog below as we break down this matchup as it happens.

How to watch

Date: Sunday January 1 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Television: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Buccaneers -4, O/U 40.5 (courtesy Caesars Sportsbook)