The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed to D.C. to take on the Washington Football Team on Sunday afternoon. The Bucs are 9.5-point favorites on the road against a struggling team, leaving plenty of Buccaneers’ props opportunities.
WFT came into the season hyped as the best defense in the NFL. However, the back-end of that defense has not held up at all. The secondary issues caused chaos for the entire defensive scheme.
Now, the Bucs will take their shot against what should be an elite pass rush and a lackluster defensive backfield.
Where does that leave us for the best Buccaneers Props for Week 10? Here are two I’ve got my eye on.
All odds courtesy of BetPrep as of Nov. 11.
Best Buccaneers Props: Through the Air
The Prop: O.J. Howard Total Receiving Yards
The Odds: Over 29.5 -120/Under 29.5 -110
O.J. Howard has been hit or miss this season, but I think that this spot is perfect for Howard to have a big game. Antonio Brown is out of his walking boot, but he seems unlikely to play. Chris Godwin hasn’t practiced all week and seems unlikely to play. Fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski will be out this week as well.
That leaves the Bucs with Mike Evans, the backup wide receivers, and tight ends Cameron Brate, and Howard. While Howard has been the least reliable of the three guys specifically mentioned, I think he has the best matchup. I’m expecting more multiple tight end sets this week with the wide receiver injuries. Brate is the better blocker of the two, and I think that this should help us get more looks for Howard.
Howard should be relied upon as the primary receiving tight end while Brate might be asked to chip or just block on a lot of plays. This will give their inexperienced receivers time to get open while the strong Washington line sells out to get Brady. I think that Howard should run a bunch of routes here. He is a freak athlete and only needs a target or two to get there like this clip below.
Unreal completion from @TomBrady to OJ Howard 😱 #GoBucs
📺: #TBvsDEN on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/xcinwkkjUL pic.twitter.com/xvOgS1RDG1— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2020
Best Buccaneers Props: On the Ground
The Prop: Leonard Fournette Total Rushing Touchdowns
The Odds: Over 0.5 -125/Under 0.5 -105
With the players expected out in this game, you can expect the Bucs to rely on the run a bit more than they normally do. While this means fewer explosive touchdowns downfield, the ground game should work in their favor.
Tampa Bay could even play two running backs at times, using Giovani Bernard as a slot receiver with Leonard Fournette in the backfield. Fournette looks great this season relative to his health and production in recent seasons. The Buccaneers are willing to rely on him.
Fournette has scored a touchdown on the ground in three of the last four games. I don’t think that is flukey. We have the clear lead back and goal-line back on one of the best offenses in the NFL. Tampa Bay is a 9.5-point favorite without three of their best weapons. Sign me up for Fournette.
