3 Best NFL Player Prop Bets for Sunday Night Football: Buccaneers at Cowboys

Urgency is high for very different reasons as longtime NFC rivals clash on this week's primetime showcase.

The 8-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on a quest to prove last year's playoff run was no fluke, are in the driver's seat in the NFC South. If they win out, they'll be back in the dance, and an emphatic statement was made with a road win at SoFi over the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

The 6-8 Dallas Cowboys' playoff hopes are on life support, but Mike McCarthy and the staff are playing for their jobs -- and doing so well. They're 3-1 in their last four games.

Who will keep marching in the right direction?

Even within a single NFL game, betting markets are abundant.

You've got everything from spreads and totals to touchdown scorers and player props at your disposal. It can be a lot to sort through.

So, which bets stand out as the Buccaneers take on the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football? Let's dig into FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds to find out.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Sunday Night Football Best Player Prop Picks

Bucky Irving Anytime Touchdown (-105)

This one might be painful for Cowboys fans.

Dallas needed a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft but passed on Bucky Irving at least three times. Irving's dynamic rookie season could have changed their season, and he might prove it on Sunday night with a score.

Irving's red zone role has suppressed as he's battled a groin issue in recent weeks, but he still leads the Bucs with a team-best 33.3% share of the red zone opportunities in the last five weeks.

Off the injury report all week, he seems ready to attack a Dallas defense allowing the third-most rushing scores (14) in the NFL. Surprisingly, Dallas has allowed just one in the last four weeks, so they're due for a bit of regression even if the defense has improved recently.

Our Week 16 NFL DFS projections expect 0.70 scrimmage touchdowns from the rookie.

Mike Evans Over 80.5 Receiving Yards (-113)

Mike Evans needs 83.7 receiving yards per game in the last three weeks to tie an NFL record for 1,000-yard seasons. Baker Mayfield is thinking about it, too.

With Chris Godwin (ankle) on the shelf, Evans is -- predictably -- the Bucs' top receiving option. He's 14th in the entire NFL in target share (28.8%) in four games since returning from a hamstring issue, and no other Tampa option is above 18.0%. Cade Otton, one of his closest competitors, will also sit this one out with a knee issue.

Absurdly, he's seen 44.8% of the Buccaneers' air yards in this time behind a beefy 11.7 average depth of target (aDOT), as well.

Even with excellent corners, Dallas has allowed the fifth-highest yards per route run to the wide receiver position (1.75 YPRR), so this is a friendly matchup for production outside.

Brandin Cooks Over 2.5 Receptions (-128)

Dallas' improvement on offense has come directly in the time Brandin Cooks returned to provide one more option for the Dallas passing game.

Cooks has a pair of touchdowns in three games since returning, but he's yet to truly imprint a monster game between the 20s. His workload is getting prepped for that, though.

Last game, Cooks ran a team-high 90.0% of the routes in Charlotte. He's seen 5.0 targets per game in the past three weeks, but two were positive scripts for his fellas.

Tampa Bay should keep Dallas' pass-catchers busy. One of the most notorious pass funnels in the NFL for years, the Bucs are numberFire's 17th-ranked rush defense but 21st against the pass. That split has been even more extreme in recent weeks.

We've got Cooks projected for 3.1 receptions. This line feels soft as he's returning to a full-time workload.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.