When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 in Week 1, there was a sense that they might see each other again. Sure enough, the Wild-Card round will wrap up with a Monday night affair between the Buccaneers and Cowboys.
There has been plenty of mention of the fact that Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is 8-0 in his career against the Cowboys. The reality, however, is that he was playing at a much higher level in most of those games than he is right now.
Dak Prescott of Dallas and Brady have the 10th and 11th best passer rating among quarterbacks expected to start in the playoffs.
Dallas is just one of the two visiting teams listed by the sportsbook as the favorite in the game. The line opened with Dallas favored by 2½ points. However, the weak effort by the Cowboys a loss to Washington in the regular-season finale is still on the minds of many and the majority of the money was coming in on Tampa Bay so the line moved to -1 with Dallas still listed as the favorite. Dallas has covered in just one of its last eight playoff games as the favorite and lost five of those contests.
Below, we have four proposition bets ahead of this matchup between the Cowboys and Buccaneers, highlighting some key players in both camps. Examine latest NFL news, injury reports and stats to help with NFL predictions and picks.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and NFL lines for Cowboys vs Buccaneers. We’ve plenty of Vegas NFL odds for NFL Wild Card Playoffs Games.
NFL: Cowboys vs Buccaneers Props
- Ezekiel Elliott to score first touchdown +600
- Rachaad White 37½ rushing yards O/U +115/-145
- CeeDee Lamb’s longest catch 24½ yards O/U -115/-115
- First score of the game to be a Tampa Bay field goal +290
Veteran Runner To Get the Early Call
Three times in the last five games played by Dallas, the first points came courtesy of a touchdown run by the Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott took care of things both in an overtime loss to Jacksonville and a road win against Tennessee.
Tampa Bay struck first in just eight of the 17 games played during the regular season. While only once did the opponent have a rushing touchdown to open the scoring, Dallas did finish ninth in the NFL in rushing offense during the season and the Cowboys figure to feature both Elliott and Tony Pollard early and often in this matchup. Elliott has just two touchdowns in four career postseason games so he could be due.
- Pick: Ezekiel Elliott to score first touchdown (+600)
White Could Be Right for Bucs
Rookie running back Rachaad White was a bit of an afterthought in the first half of the season. He had 90 rushing yards on 30 carries over the first seven games. He has become more of a factor as the season went along.
White had more than 10 carries in five of the last eight games. With center Ryan Jensen looking good to return to the field and both tackles also ready to go, the Buccaneers could rely a little more on the running game than they did during the regular season.
Among playoff teams, only the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks allow more rushing yards per game.
In the last two games lost by the Cowboys, they allowed 343 rushing yards and more than five yards per carry so don’t be surprised to see White get the chance to test that Dallas rushing defense.
- Pick: Rachaad White to go over 37½ rushing yards (+115)
Lamb Eyeing Big Plays
Dallas went 6-2 when star receiver CeeDee Lamb had a catch longer than 24½yards.
Fresh off his first All-Pro selection, CeeDee Lamb spoke today about bigger goals for the #NFLPlayoffs. ⬇️#DALvsTB | @ntxford
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 13, 2023
Tampa Bay has dealt with injuries in the secondary all season long with cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean as well as safeties Logan Ryan, Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield combining to miss 22 games.
Although the secondary could be close to full strength with Davis and Edwards listed as full participants in practice on Friday, the timing could be off since the players expected to form the last line of defense haven’t as much time in practice and games as they would have liked.
It won’t be surprising to see Lamb break through for at least one big play.
- Pick: CeeDee Lamb to have a catch longer than 24½ yards. (-115)
Getting Their Kicks
Field goal kickers have been busy in the early stages of the Cowboys and Buccaneers games during the regular season.
Tampa Bay’s Ryan Succop finished second in the league with 38 field-goal attempts during the regular season while Brett Maher connected on 90.6% of his field goals and that is tied for second among kickers in the playoffs.
There isn’t much difference as the first scoring play of the game being a Tampa Bay field goal priced at +290 and the scoring beginning with a field goal by Maher coming in at +300 according to the Las Vegas NFL odds.
Something for those who bet online to consider, over the final 11 games of the season the first point came on a field goal five times for both the Cowboys and Buccaneers. The difference is that four of the five times the Buccaneers were the ones getting those opening three points while four out of the five times for the Cowboys, it was Dallas falling behind early.
- Pick: First score of the game to be a Tampa Bay field goal (+290)
