Sunday, December 18, 2016

AT&T Stadium

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to AT&T Stadium to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, December 18, 2016. The opening line for this game has Dallas as 7.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 46. The Buccaneers are 8-5-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 6-6-1. The Cowboys have an over/under record of 5-8-0 and they are 9-4-0 against the spread.

Jameis Winston finished with 184 yards through the air for Tampa Bay last week. He completed 16 passes out of 26 attempts for a 62% completion percentage. The Buccaneers were led in rushing by Doug Martin, who finished with 66 yards on 23 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 3 yards per carry. Cameron Brate was the team leader in receiving with a total of 47 yards and 4 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 12 yards per reception. As a team in that game Tampa Bay got a total of 21 first downs. Of those first downs, 5 came on the ground while 11 came through the air. They ran 63 total plays for 270 yards for the game. The Buccaneers ran for 104 yards on 35 attempts.

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Dak Prescott finished with 165 yards passing for Dallas last week. He went 17 for 37, resulting in a 46% completion percentage. The Cowboys were led on the ground by Ezekiel Elliott, who finished with 107 yards on 24 carries. He ended the game with an average of 4 yards per rush. Terrance Williams led the team in receiving with 76 yards and 5 catches. He finished the game with an average of 15 yards per reception. Dallas had 13 first downs total. 6 came from running the ball and 6 came from a pass. They ran 65 total plays for 260 yards for the contest. The Cowboys ran for 108 yards on 25 carries as a team.

Tampa Bay scores 23 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 18th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 23 passes on 36 attempts for a 64% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 250 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 15th in the league. The Buccaneers run for an average of 105 yards per game on 30 attempts for an average of 3.5 yards per carry. That ranks them 18th in the league. They also run 68 plays per contest and average 5.2 yards per play for an average of 355 yards per game, ranking their offense 15th overall this season. The Buccaneers average 22 first downs per game which ranks them 11th in the NFL. They accumulate 61.4 penalty yards per game via 7.2 penalties, which ranks 13th in the league.

Tampa Bay allows 250 passing yards per game, ranking 16th, and they allow 23 points per contest on defense, which ranks 16th. They give up 21 completions on 34 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 62%. The Buccaneers allow 111 rushing yards per game on 26 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 21st in the NFL. Tampa Bay allows 360 total yards per game including 5.8 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 21st in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 7.8 penalties for 66.6 yards per game, ranking them 26th among NFL teams.

Dallas averages 26 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 6th in the league. In the passing department, they complete 20 passes per game on 31 attempts for a 65% completion percentage. They throw for 233 yards through the air per game, ranking them 20th. The Cowboys run for an average of 152 yards per game on 32 attempts for an average of 4.8 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 2nd on the ground. They also run 64 plays per game and average 6 yards per play for a total of 385 yards per game, ranking them 5th in the league on offense. The Cowboys get an average of 23 first downs per game, which ranks 5th. They average 54.3 penalty yards per game via 6.5 penalties, ranking them 20th in the NFL.

Dallas allows an average of 268 passing yards per game, which ranks 28th in the league. Their defense overall allows 18 points per contest, which has them ranked 5th. They give up 27 completions on 39 attempts for a completion percentage of 69% per game. The Cowboys allow 83 rushing yards per contest on 21 carries for a 4 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 2nd in the NFL. Dallas allows 351 total yards per game for an average of 5.7 yards per play, which ranks 16th in the league. They force 6 penalties for 48.2 yards in each contest, ranking 3rd.

Tampa Bay Betting Trends

Tampa Bay is 6-6-1 against the over/under this season

Tampa Bay has an ATS record of 8-5-0 this season

Dallas Betting Trends

Dallas is 5-8-0 against the over/under this season

Dallas has an ATS record of 9-4-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Tampa Bay

12/11/16 WR Adam Humphries Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Dallas
12/11/16 S Chris Conte Chest "?" Sunday vs. Dallas
12/11/16 T Demar Dotson Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Dallas
12/11/16 TE Luke Stocker Ankle "?" Sunday vs. Dallas
12/07/16 DE William Gholston Ankle expected to miss 2-3 weeks
12/06/16 WR Cecil Shorts Knee IR
11/08/16 DE Howard Jones Knee IR
11/07/16 RB Antone Smith Knee IR
11/07/16 WR Louis Murphy Knee IR
10/19/16 WR Vincent Jackson Knee IR
10/06/16 DE Noah Spence Shoulder out indefinitely
09/23/16 LB Devante Bond Hamstring IR
09/15/16 DE Jacquies Smith Knee IR
08/31/16 G J.R. Sweezy Back PUP
08/11/16 DE George Johnson Hip out for season

Dallas

12/11/16 OL Chaz Green Foot "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
12/11/16 S J.J. Wilcox Thigh "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
12/11/16 WR Lucky Whitehead Suspension "?" Sunday vs. Tampa Bay
11/29/16 LB Rolando McClain Suspension out for season
11/23/16 TE James Hanna Knee out for season
11/16/16 TE Geoff Swaim Pectoral IR
11/01/16 CB Morris Claiborne Groin out indefinitely
09/28/16 DE Charles Tapper Back IR
09/27/16 OL La'el Collins Toe IR
09/20/16 DE Randy Gregory Suspension out for season
09/09/16 RB Darren McFadden Elbow PUP
08/31/16 LB Jaylon Smith Knee PUP
08/02/16 Backup QB Kellen Moore Fibula IR

Josh's Pick: Take Dallas -7.5

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