Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: NFL Playoff Predictions for Wild Card Round on Monday, January 16, 2023

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were below .500 this season and still won the NFC South, but they'll need to be a lot better if they're going to handle their business against a very good Dallas Cowboys team at 8:15PM ET on Monday, January 16. With that in mind, find out how we think this one will play out in our Cowboys vs. Buccaneers betting preview. We're going to give you some in-depth analysis, as well as the NFL predictions from our predictive analytics model and world-class artificial intelligence. The Super Bowl is right around the corner, so we're pulling out all the stops. Let's have a fun couple of weeks, as this is one of the best parts of the year for sports bettors. 

Dallas actually kicked off the season with a prime-time loss at Tampa Bay. Now the Cowboys will look to avoid ending it in the same fashion as they hit to road to face a Bucs team with the worst record (8-9) of any of the 14 postseason participants.

Tampa won a lackluster division and enters the playoffs still with much to prove. Dallas went 12-5 but played miserably in the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders.

RELATED: Predictions for every NFL Wild Card Round matchup

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Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Predictions

• Predicted score: Cowboys 24 - Buccaneers 22
• 52% chance the Bucs cover the 3-point spread
• 60% chance the Cowboys win on the moneyline
• 50% chance Cowboys-Bucs stays Under 45.5

For the best NFL computer picks, check out our Cowboys vs. Buccaneers data predictions. They are constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Odds and Betting Lines

Will The Cowboys Cover The Spread?

Dallas hasn’t had the best playoff track record in quite some time and all the pressure is on Dak Prescott & Co. in this one. Not only did the Cowboys record four more wins than the Bucs, but they had an outside chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC heading into last weekend.

Prescott, who missed five games, threw 15 interceptions in a dozen starts and had some of those returned for touchdowns. That simply can’t happen this week. If Dallas doesn’t win the turnover battle, it has potential for a frustrating night.

The backfield combo of Tony Pollard (1,007 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns) and Ezekiel Elliott (876 yards, 12 TDs) always gives the ‘Boys a shot.

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Dallas is 1-4 on a grass field this season and had no answer for Tampa’s defense in the season-opening 19-3 defeat that saw Prescott go down in the fourth quarter with a hand injury that required surgery.

Prescott was awful against the Commanders (14 of 37, 128 yards, one touchdown and a pick-6) and won’t have an easy time against an aggressive Bucs defense that ranked No. 9 overall and a 10th against the pass. Tampa also recorded 45 sacks while allowing Tom Brady to be dumped only 22 times.

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Why The Over Will Hit

The Cowboys have a tendency to participate in some wild games. In December alone, they were part of four straight games with at least 50 points, three of which eclipsed 70. Prior to the weak effort in Washington, you’d have to go back all the way to Oct. 23 to find a game Dallas failed to score at least 27 points.

As far as Todd Bowles’ Bucs are concerned, they’re not nearly as explosive but will put the ball in Brady’s hands much more than running it. That’s ideal for shootout potential.

RELATED: Betting The Over Is Sexy, But Betting The Under Is Smart