Wild Card Weekend concludes on Monday night with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, 5-4 home) hosting the Dallas Cowboys (12-5, 4-4 away). Tampa Bay and Dallas played each other to begin the season, with the Bucs handing the Cowboys a 19-3 loss.
The primetime kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. EST inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Dallas is a 2.5-point road favorite, and the over/under total is 45.5 points.
What to Know – Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is in the playoffs for the second year in a row after finishing second in the NFC East standings. The Cowboys lost their regular season finale to the Washington Commanders, but had won three of four leading up to last week’s defeat.
The Cowboys offense ranked fourth in scoring averaging 27.5 points per game backed by 354.9 yards of total offense. On defense, Dallas was fifth in the NFL limiting opponents to 20.1 points and 330.2 yards of offense.
Starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is expected to return to action this week after missing the last three games due to an injury. Dallas will be without the services of defensive back Trayvon Mullen.
Dallas was 10-7 against the spread during the regular season and 4-4 ATS on the road. The Cowboys are 1-4-1 ATS in their previous six matchups against Tampa Bay.
What to Know – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It has been an up-and-down year for the Bucs, who closed out the season with a losing record but was able to win the NFC South. Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl in 2020 and returned to the postseason last year, losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional round.
Tampa Bay’s offense took a step back in 2022 and sat near the bottom of the league, scoring 18.4 points and 346.7 yards of offense per contest. The Bucs defense ranked near the middle of the pack surrendering 21.1 points and 324.3 yards of offense.
For Tampa, the injury report isn’t as pretty as the Cowboys. Starting left guard Nick Leverett is doubtful, while starting left tackle Donovan Smith and center Robert Hainsey are both questionable. Nose tackle Vita Vea and defensive backs Mike Edwards and Carlton Davis III have also drawn questionable tags.
The Bucs went 4-12-1 ATS during the year and 2-6-1 ATS at home. Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS over its previous five matchup against teams from the NFC.
The Pick is In
The two teams that kicked off the season against each other face off to begin the postseason in an elimination showdown. Both teams have changed considerably since that September contest, and the Cowboys head to the Sunshine State as a road favorite.
Tom Brady is a perfect 7-0 against the Cowboys all-time, and while the Bucs have their flaws, don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay pulls out a victory Monday night. We have a hard time trusting Dak Prescott on the road in a big game; we’ll roll with the underdogs in this one.
The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5
