The Cardinals are rolling out their third-string quarterback this week, and his passing props might be a goldmine. And, while the Buccaneers are favored, one of their backs might be busy in the passing attack, making one of his overs extremely appealing. Let’s hop into the top three Cardinals vs. Buccaneers player props below.
Cardinals vs. Buccaneers Player Props: SNF Week 16
For a full list of Cardinals vs. Buccaneers player props and odds, check out our dedicated page for NFL player props.
Trace McSorley Over 0.5 Interceptions (-200)
Trace McSorley is ill-equipped to start an NFL game. Yet, the 2019 sixth-round pick is getting the nod for the Cardinals because Kyler Murray’s out for the season, and Colt McCoy is ruled out after suffering a concussion last week.
Officially OUT for Cardinals: DE Zach Allen, QB Colt McCoy, CB Byron Murphy Jr. QUESTIONABLE: T Kelvin Beachum, WR Marquise Brown, G Max Garcia, CB Antonio Hamilton, S Charles Washington. Tampa Bay has five players out and six questionable.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 23, 2022
Thus, the Cards are in a tough spot, starting McSorley. Unsurprisingly, he hasn’t cleaned up his turnover issues from college in the pros. According to Sports-Reference, McSorley threw 25 interceptions in his last 40 games at Penn State. In addition, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), McSorley had 11 turnover-worthy plays and at least one in eight of 13 games in his final collegiate season.
McSorley’s thrown only 39 passes in his NFL career and threw three interceptions. McSorley threw interceptions in the two contests he attempted double-digit passes this year. Further, according to PFF, he’s had the second-highest Turnover-Worthy Play rate (13.5 TWP%) out of 63 quarterbacks who’ve dropped back at least 10 times this year. The biggest threat to McSorley throwing a pick is himself. McSorley could play poorly enough to get an early hook without throwing a pick. Otherwise, his propensity to put the ball in harm’s way is an excellent reason to bet on him throwing an interception.
Where to bet: Trace McSorley Over 0.5 Interceptions | -200 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Trace McSorley Under 192.5 Passing Yards (-115)
McSorley will have a challenging time cracking 192.5 passing yards against the Bucs. Furthermore, the Thursday Night Football game was a perfect reminder of the possibility of a lousy quarterback getting benched during the game. Zach Wilson was pulled in favor of Chris Strever, and Wilson was the second overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. The Cardinals don’t have nearly the same degree of investment in McSorley.
Moreover, David Blough is McSorley’s backup, and the former has more starts in his NFL career than McSorley. Blough started five games for the Lions in 2019. Frankly, he’s probably a more competent signal-caller than McSorley.
Yet, again, McSorley will likely fail to clear 192.5 passing yards if he plays the entire game. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Tampa Bay has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (194.5). Finally, in addition to being a turnover machine, McSorley has been wholly inaccurate, completing only 51.7% of his passes for the Cardinals this year and 46.2% of them in his career. Todd Bowles is in over his head as a head coach, but he can bottle up McSorley.
Where to bet: Trace McSorley Under 192.5 Yards | -115 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Leonard Fournette Over 19.5 Receiving Yards (-119)
The Bucs are a pass-first team, and Tom Brady loves his running backs in the passing attack. According to numberFire, they’ve attempted 60 passes and only 31 rushes in neutral game scripts since Week 13. Further, Fournette has a decided advantage over backfield mate Rachaad White in the passing attack.
Per PFF, Fournette has run 85 routes versus 56 for White in Tampa Bay’s last three games. Fournette had an 11.8% Target Share, 16 receptions, and 95 receiving yards in those games. He’s also had at least 30 receiving yards in his previous three games and five of his last six.
The matchup is also excellent for Fournette’s receiving outlook. According to The 33rd Team and data from Sports Info Solutions (SIS), running backs averaged 6.7 receptions and 48.5 receiving yards per game against the Cardinals in their last six games. The Bucs might boat-race the Cardinals and lean on their running game late, but Fournette should be busy enough as a receiver to exceed 19.5 receiving yards before the game gets out of hand.
Where to bet: Leonard Fournette Over 19.5 Receiving Yards | -119 at Caesars Sportsbook