Dallas will either crumble and play poorly here in Tampa Bay in a game they should win or they will destroy the Buccaneers.

After two consecutive weeks of crushing losses, the Cowboys no longer control their own destiny in the NFC East. Many expect them to react with a strong game.

Dallas is 6-2 ATS past 8 games vs the Bucs, who were destroyed last week.



View Dallas vs Tampa Bay Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the Buccaneers pegged as 6-point underdogs in this matchup. The total, meanwhile, was listed by the books at 46.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Buccaneers sit at No. 30 in the current NFL Power Rankings here at OddsShark, while the Cowboys are at No. 10 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Cowboys will win this game 26-12.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Tampa Bay's No. 26-ranked offense (17.8 PPG) against a Cowboys defense that ranks No. 16 at 21.6 PPG. The Buccaneers passing attack has averaged 230.8 yards per game, less than the Cowboys give up through the air (243.2 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Cowboys feature the league's No. 8-rated road run defense, allowing 103.7 yards per game. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, ranks No. 27 in rushing offense at home.

Dallas was a 37-34 loser in its last match at home against the Giants. They failed to cover the 4.5–point spread as favorites, while the total score of 71 sent OVER bettors to the payout window. In their last game, the Cowboys got 4 passing scores out of Tony Romo, but lost 37-34 to the Giants on Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.

Tampa Bay lost its last outing, a 41-14 result against the Jaguars on December 11. The Buccaneers failed to cover in that game as a 2.5-point favorite, while the 55 combined points took the game OVER the total.


Dallas Cowboys Trends:
When playing in December are 4-6
When playing on grass are 5-5
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 5-5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trends:
When playing in December are 4-6
When playing on grass are 3-7
After being outgained are 4-6
When playing outside the division are 3-7

A few Cowboys at Buccaneers trends to consider:
Dallas is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Dallas's last 25 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games when playing Dallas
Tampa Bay is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games at home
Tampa Bay is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Dallas


Next up:
Dallas home to Philadelphia, Saturday, December 24
Tampa Bay at Carolina, Saturday, December 24