Eagles vs. Buccaneers: The best player prop bets for Wild Card weekend

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) runs with the ball after making a catch. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kick off a Wild Card tripleheader this Sunday afternoon.

The defending Super Bowl champion Bucs are big favorites, but we’re not here to discuss the full-game preview. Let’s look at our three favorite prop bets for this matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Sun, January 16 2022, 6:00 PM

TB Buccaneers

Moneyline

-360

Spread

-7.5

Total

O 46.5

PHI Eagles

Moneyline

+275

Spread

+7.5

Total

U 46.5

Jalen Hurts Over/Under 57.5 rushing yards

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was his team’s leading rusher in 2021, going for 784 yards on 139 carries (5.6 yards per attempt), or just over 52 yards per game. He looks primed for another solid day on the ground on Sunday.

"I think Jalen Hurts needs to become a star this weekend."
@KyleBrandt says the @Eagles QB needs to be sensational on Sunday to get the 'W'. pic.twitter.com/SttF12DEtG
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 14, 2022

Hurts ran for 44 yards on 10 attempts with two touchdowns against the Bucs in their previous meeting this season, a 28-22 loss in Week 6. While it was unusual to see Tampa surrender two rushing touchdowns to the former Alabama signal caller (they allowed only one other quarterback rushing score all year), it hasn’t been uncommon for opposing quarterbacks to burn them on the ground.

The Bucs allowed 399 rushing yards to quarterbacks this season, the fourth-most in football. Look for Hurts to keep his team in this game with his legs.

NFL pick: Over (-117)

Tom Brady Over/Under 273.5 passing yards

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady led the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense at age 44, averaging 307.6 yards per game through the air. Brady’s arm will be more valuable than usual to the Bucs this Sunday due to the absence of lead running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring).

Though Philly ranks 11th in stopping the pass this year (220.9 yards allowed per game), it’s worth noting that Brady torched this unit for 297 yards on 34-of-42 passing in their most recent matchup. A 270-yard day seems well within reach for Brady.

NFL pick: Over (-114)

Rob Gronkowski Over/Under 61.5 receiving yards

If Brady has a big day through the air, it stands to reason that tight end Rob Gronkowski will play a major role in it.

Tom Brady made sure to help Gronk get his $1 Million catch incentive 🤑

(via @NFLFilms)pic.twitter.com/LEcwnzFd6p
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022

Gronkowski went for over 100 receiving yards in each of his last two contests. He missed his team’s Week 6 meeting with the Eagles, but Philly’s results against tight ends this year should inspire confidence for Over backers. Only five teams allowed more reception yards to tight ends than the Eagles this season (1,035).

NFL pick: Over (-117)

NFL