Does Brady turn it up again just in time for the Playoffs?
The final game of the NFL Wild Card Round 2023 is the match between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys – betting tips and odds follow here. It is also, in our eyes, the game of the first round where an upset is most likely to occur.
Why? Because the Dallas Cowboys really haven’t been a good playoff team in recent years (only four wins out of their last 15 games), whereas the Bucs have the best playoff player of all time in Tom Brady.
In addition, Brady has never lost to the Dallas Cowboys in his entire career – that sounds incredible, but it’s a fact. He is 7-0 against America’s Team and he and the Bucs have already defeated Dallas this season (19-3 on Game Day 1).
So our prediction for Buccaneers vs Cowboys is a home win for Tampa, which is considered a surprise according to the bookmakers. Since we see it a bit differently, we get some really excellent value for betting on it.
Kickoff of this final game of the NFL Wild Card Round is at 02:15 on Tuesday night in Tampa, Florida. The game can be watched live on ProSieben, ran.de or on DAZN.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Statistics & current form
The Buccaneers have more badly than well trembled their way into the playoffs. But now the cards are reshuffled, making the Bucs one of the great unknowns of this postseason. Can they improve on the regular season?
We firmly believe that this will happen. We already saw the first indication of that against the Carolina Panthers, when Brady and the Bucs really exploded, especially in the fourth quarter. The GOAT put up 432 total passing yards and Mike Evans alone scored three touchdowns.
Connection with Evans enormously important
This connection between Brady and Evans could carry the Buccaneers into the playoffs, especially since their running game stalls every now and then. Over the season, they’re averaging just 76.9 rushing yards per game, the fewest of any team.
However, if their passing offense works like it did against Carolina, they can make up for it. It will also be important to get Chris Godwin and Julio Jones consistently involved in the game. Tight end Cade Otton has also become an increasingly important playmaker for Brady.
Defence is running on fumes
The question then will be how well their defence holds up. Compared to the first day of the game and the 19:3 in Dallas, the defence is hardly recognisable. With Barrett, Everett or Ryan, some important pieces of the puzzle are missing, which was also noticeable in their efficiency.
With 21.1 points allowed per game, their defence ranks only 13th among all teams this season. If Tampa can stop the Cowboys’ run and force Prescott into the air, the chances of success are very good.
Because then they make mistakes and the Bucs can then exploit them mercilessly. We see an upset here as very possible and recommend a tip on a Buccaneers home win for Tampa vs. Dallas.
Key Players:
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Leonard Fournette
WR: Mike Evans
TE: Cameron Brate
K: Ryan Succop
Dallas Cowboys – Statistics & current form
The Cowboys are the Cowboys remain the Cowboys. On the last game day with the bad defeat against the Commanders this became obvious once again. Consistency has been absent from this franchise for years.
Even grandiose victories like the 40-3 win over Minnesota don’t help them get a rhythm into their game, although they also help themselves time and again. Glaring coverage errors, many penalties (104 in the regular season) and Dak Prescott’s interceptions (15 – the most of any quarterback) – the list of shortcomings is long.
Prescott with bad luck and incompetence
Prescott probably won’t be able to afford his many interceptions for too much longer. If one could still defend him directly after his comeback with a lack of rhythm, this excuse no longer counts.
The most interceptions of all QBs and that with five games less – it’s amazing that the Boys still managed such a good record. But in the playoffs, these interceptions will be punished harshly.
We are looking at a game where Prescott will have to be almost flawless to get the Cowboys through to the next round. It’s very doubtful that will happen after his recent performances.
Defence in a downward spiral
While Dallas could at least rely on their defence in the first half of the season, which was even considered the strongest in the league at times, those days are over. Over the last five games, their defence conceded an average of 27.2 points.
That can be good, as in the 40:34 against the Eagles, but in most cases it is simply too weak. While we don’t expect their offense to score only three points like they did in their first meeting on Game Day 1, we don’t expect them to score much more than 20 points either.
So the Boys are definitely playing with fire here and we wouldn’t be surprised if it goes wrong again on Monday. Thus, for Bucs vs Cowboys, the odds are to favour Tampa at excellent value.
Key Players:
QB: Dak Prescott
RB: Ezekiel Elliott
WR: CeeDee Lamb
TE: Dalton Schultz
K: Brett Maher
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Dallas Cowboys Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Since Tom Brady has been playing in Tampa, the Bucs have won both games against the Cowboys. That’s not much of a surprise, as the GOAT still has a completely clean slate against Dallas.
In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we see the Buccaneers ahead in this matchup. Sometimes a team just suits one player or another team. And Brady’s style of play just doesn’t suit the Cowboys at all.
Those short passes with a lot of ball control and a strong defence against long passes. There is a lot to be said for Brady being able to extend his series against Dallas. This makes the betting odds on the Bucs our clear betting recommendation for Tampa Bay vs. Dallas.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Dallas Cowboys Tip
The question in the Wild Card round is always, where does a surprise happen? There is usually one game where the underdog team wins. Last year it was the 49ers who managed this. The opponents back then: the Cowboys.
We’ve already touched on the Cowboys’ poor playoff record and that will be on the players’ minds. Another reason to prefer a tip on the Buccaneers in Tampa vs. Dallas.
Sub-point bets are also an option for Monday. Just 22 total points were scored in the first meeting during the season and there are very few true high scoring games in the playoffs.
