Tampa Bay Buccaneers open as slight home underdog in postseason matchup with Dallas Cowboys
The postseason has arrived as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) enter the week with a Wild Card matchup against the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) on the table. Despite the Buccaneers having a worse record, they'll host the Cowboys after winning the NFC South in Week 17 while the latter finished second in the NFC North to Philadelphia.
Funnily enough, these two teams began their seasons against one another and now one of them will advance further in the postseason while the other will go home.
The Buccaneers defeated the Cowboys 19-3 in a dominant defensive effort in Week 1. Dallas kicked a field goal on its opening drive but didn't score again for the remainder of the game. The contest projects to be much closer this time around.
Shortly after the clock struck midnight on the east coast, opening odds were released for Wild Card games around the league. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Tampa Bay opens as a three-point underdog to Dallas. The Over/Under is set at 45.5 points.
Dallas sports one of the top offenses in the league, scoring 27.5 points per game. The combination of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the backfield will be a duo that the Buccaneers have to limit. Pollard actually led the team with 193 rushes for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Buccaneers have struggled to play consistently throughout the season but you can never count out future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. Less than two weeks ago, Brady threw for 432 yards and three touchdowns in a must-win game for the franchise. Can he bring the same energy into the postseason in the quest for his eighth ring?
Tampa Bay and Dallas will kick off at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, January 16. The game will be televised on ESPN/ABC.
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the season.
