(CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — The Panthers are traveling to Tampa as part of their “focus friday,” in their quest to accomplish something that hasn’t been seen here in nearly a decade: a playoff berth.

The Panthers have made a decision on whether or not G Robert Hunt will suit up for Saturday's big NFC South showdown against the Bucs.

The Panthers and Buccaneers will meet on Saturday afternoon to help decide the final NFC Playoff Spot. This is the ideal DFS strategy for the Showdown Slate.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one game away from finishing off an epic collapse and entering an offseason of uncertainty.

Notable: The Panthers can win the NFC South and the conference's last open playoff slot with a win or tie against the Buccaneers. If they lose, they would need the Falcons to defeat the Saints to create a three-way divisional tie. Carolina's 3-1 mark against the Falcons and Bucs this season is the tiebreaker.

It all comes down to this. Due to their own self inflicted circumstances, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a must-win scenario in the final game of the 2025 regul

The Carolina Panthers can clinch their first division title since 2015 and first playoff berth since 2017 with a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.

See who's in and who's out for the Week 18 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers on January 3, 2026.

Preview the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' NFL Week 18 matchup with the Panthers, including live stream, TV channel, odds, and game information.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not fully control their own destiny, but they do control the first part of it — they need to beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday