Will Tom Brady and the Bucs send the Cowboys home early from the playoffs? That seems to be the main question as Dallas tries to exorcise some familiar playoff demons. At the time of this writing, most sportsbooks have installed the Cowboys as a 2.5-point road favorite.
Want a little extra action on the last playoff game of Wildcard Weekend? You’ve come to the right place. Check out the 3 player props we’re betting for Monday Night Football. Good luck!
Ezekiel Elliott UNDER 10.5 Receiving Yards
Best Available Odds: -140 at PointsBet
We’ve been impressed by how well Zeke has bounced back this season after being saddled with nagging injuries the past couple of years. Elliott and Tony Pollard have given the Cowboys a dangerous 1-2 punch that was desperately needed in Big D. That said, we’re going to fade Elliott’s receiving yardage against the Bucs.
The emergence of Pollard as the premier 3rd down back has hurt Elliott’s productivity as a pass catcher. For the season, the former Ohio State star is only averaging 6.1 receiving yards per game. He’s also only averaging 7.6 receiving yards per game over his last 5.
The juice is a bit high with this play, but it’s well worth it. Elliott has stayed under this total in 11 of 15 games this season. Tampa Bay’s secondary is also pretty stout, as they only give up 6.1 yards per pass (7th).
Cade Otton UNDER 2.5 Receptions
Best Available Odds: +133 at Caesars
The plus-money juice makes this one impossible to turn down. Otton is a good-looking rookie, but he hasn’t played a major role in the Bucs’ offense very often. He’s only averaging 2 receptions per game over his last 5 outings.
In 16 games this season, Otton caught 2 or fewer passes in 9 of them. He’s also stayed under this number of catches in 4 straight games. We’re expecting Brady to target Mike Evans and Chris Godwin so much in this game that Otton may not get many opportunities.
Dallas also has a pretty good secondary. The Cowboys rank 9th in yards per pass allowed and 11th in completion percentage allowed. Take the Under at this nice price!
CeeDee Lamb UNDER 6.5 Receptions
Best Available Odds: -135 at PointsBet
Lamb has had a career year, so it’s kind of tough to fade him in this spot. However, our projections call for him to finish with 5 receptions, so we have to trust our numbers. The former Oklahoma standout is averaging 6.3 receptions per game this season.
While that average isn’t too shabby, Lamb has stayed under this number in 11 of 17 games this year. He’s also caught 6 passes or fewer in 5 of his last 8 games. With those strong trends in our favor, we don’t mind paying a little extra juice.
Look for Dallas to run the ball as much as possible in this game. That should limit Lamb’s targets enough to keep him under this total. Let’s roll with the Under in this one!
