Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup

Read our Buccaneers vs Cowboys pick and preview for this NFL pre-season week 16 game in Arlington. Check out who we like to win and cover the spread in this regular season NFL matchup.

The Buccaneers are favored on the road as they take on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The game, set for 8:20 ET on Sunday, December 22nd, is being televised on NBC. Tampa Bay's money line is -207, while the Cowboys are at +172. The Buccaneers are -4 point favorites, and the over/under line is 49.5 points.

Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Where: Arlington at AT&T Stadium
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds TB -4, TB -207 | DAL +172 O/U 49.5

Buccaneers Preview:

With four straight wins, the Buccaneers now sit at 8-6, putting them in first place in the NFC South. Their latest victory came in week 15, when they defeated the Chargers 40-17, easily covering the spread as 3-point underdogs. Before that, Tampa Bay picked up wins over the Raiders, Panthers, and Giants. They currently have a 79.7% chance of winning the division and an 81.8% chance of making the playoffs.

Heading into week 16, the Bucs are 9-5 against the spread, including two straight ATS wins. They have a +5.5 scoring margin and rank 8th in our NFL power rankings. Their O/U record stands at 9-5, with their games averaging 52.1 points per contest.

Buccaneers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 16, the Buccaneers are 4th in the NFL in points per game (28.8) and 3rd in yards per game (388.4). They rank 4th in passing yards per game (244) and rushing yards per game (144.4). Tampa Bay has been strong on 3rd down, converting 48.3% of their attempts, which ranks 3rd in the league, and they lead the NFL in 1st quarter scoring.

In week 15, Baker Mayfield threw for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns, with one interception, against the Chargers. Mike Evans had 9 catches for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Bucky Irving rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries. Tampa Bay scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter and converted 9 of 15 3rd-down attempts.

Buccaneers Team Defense

In their 40-17 win over the Chargers, the Buccaneers' defense allowed just 32 rushing yards on 11 attempts. They also gave up 174 passing yards on 22 completions, with two passing touchdowns. Despite this, the Buccaneers held the Chargers to a 5.1 yards per attempt and forced a 64.7% completion percentage. Additionally, the Buccaneers' defense was strong on third downs, allowing 0% conversions.

Tampa Bay's defense recorded three sacks and came away with one interception. They also limited the Chargers to just 206 total yards in the game. Although the Chargers did find the endzone twice through the air, the Buccaneers' defense played a key role in the lopsided victory.

Cowboys Preview:

Heading into week 16, the Cowboys sit at 6-8, with a 3-1 record in the NFC East. They are 12th in the conference and 29th in our power rankings, giving them just a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs. Dallas has been much better on the road (5-2) than at home (1-6) this season.

After two straight losses, the Cowboys bounced back with a 30-14 win over the Panthers in week 15. They were 2.5-point underdogs in that game. Their O/U record is 9-5, with their games averaging 48.4 points per game.

Cowboys Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 16, the Cowboys sit 25th in our offensive power rankings. They are 16th in the NFL in points per game (21.3) and yards per game (328.9). Dallas ranks 12th in passing yards per game (229.1) and 25th in rushing yards per game (99.8). They are 23rd in the league in 3rd-down conversions, with a 36.3% success rate, but have been strong in the red zone, ranking 7th with a 40% conversion rate.

Cooper Rush posted a passer rating of 119 in week 15, throwing for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception. Rico Dowdle rushed for 149 yards on 25 carries, while CeeDee Lamb had 9 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys scored 30 points against the Panthers, with 14 coming in the 3rd quarter.

Cowboys Team Defense

In their most recent game, the Cowboys' defense was impressive, coming up with six sacks and two interceptions in their 30-14 win over the Panthers. They allowed just 175 passing yards and held Carolina to 27.3% on third down conversions. The Cowboys' run defense was also strong, allowing only 60 yards on 16 attempts.

Despite giving up one passing touchdown, the Cowboys' defense limited big plays and kept the Panthers in check throughout the game. Dallas also forced the Panthers into a 67.9% completion percentage and won the battles in both tackles for loss and quarterback hits.

Buccaneers vs Cowboys Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Buccaneers have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 7-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 28 points per game in this stretch.
Across their ten previous home games, Dallas has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 25 points per game.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Cowboys have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 2-3.
As the betting favorite, the Buccaneers have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.