The Tampa Bay Buccaneers booked the ticket to the postseason for the third year in a row. This time, however, they ended the regular season with a negative record (8-9). They got to the Wild Card Playoffs by winning the NFC South.
Their opponent in the MNF game – the Dallas Cowboys – ended the regular season with a 12-5 record. That wasn’t enough for them to win the NFC East Division but was enough to earn them the No. 5 seed.
Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wild Card Odds
| Spread | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys -2.5 | -118 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 | -104 |
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | -142 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +120 |
| Totals | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 45.5 points | -105 |
| Under 45.5 points | -115 |
*Odds taken from FanDuel on Thursday, January 12, 2023.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
- Date: Monday, January 16, 2023
- Time: 8:15 PM ET
- How to Watch: ABC
Dallas Cowboys to Run the Ball to Victory?
The Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw at least one interception in each of his previous seven games. In fact, the 2-time Pro Bowler hasn’t thrown an interception only in two games of the regular season.
Many of his mistakes in the 2022-23 season resulted in turnovers, but nevertheless, his team still managed to do very well. The Cowboys finished the regular season with a 12-5 record, with a couple of wins against some real heavyweights – the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, and so on.
Still, in their most recent game, they got blown out by the Washington Commanders 26-6. Even though the game had no major importance for the Cowboys, their offensive performance needs to worry them. Prescott was horrible that day against a solid defense (which is comparable to the one of Tampa Bay) throwing his 15th interception of the season.
Everyone in Dallas knows this, which is why coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore might come up with a different strategy for the MNF game. Rather than letting Prescott try risky passes, they might decide to run the ball more often.
Tom Brady Can’t Win Games on His Own (Or Can He?)
Tom Brady’s having another fantastic season with the Bucs, and many believe he’s going to explode in the postseason. After all, the GOAT always plays his best football in big games. The trouble is that in the MNF game, he’ll need his teammates to do great as well.
With Tom Brady as the quarterback and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as wide receivers, Tampa’s passing game is bound to be brilliant. Their running game should also be top-notch, considering the form of running back Leonard Fournette. That said, the Bucs really shouldn’t worry too much about their offense. It’s their defense that should worry them.
Tampa’s defensive line will have to put pressure on Prescott to try and force him into another blunder. We think they’re very likely to do so unless the Cowboys switch their focus to running. In that case, the Buccaneers might be in trouble as their run defense isn’t great.
The Bucs defense gave up 120.7 rushing yards per game on average during the regular season, which made them 15th in the league. Plus, in their most recent game, we saw them concede 174.0 rushing yards – the fourth-worst performance of all NFL teams in Week 18. Still, to be fair to Todd Bowles’ men, the game practically had zero importance to them.
Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction
On paper, the Dallas Cowboys are the better team. They got a better roster and have been playing much better football in the 2022-23 season. Still, the Bucs have experience on their side. With Tom Brady as their signal-caller, they always seem to go far in the playoffs. And we think the same will be the case in 2023 as well.
Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win; under to hit