The Dallas Cowboys meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday to officially start the 2021 NFL regular season. The Buccaneers will be looking to start their Super Bowl defense in style while the Cowboys hope to spring an upset to begin the season. For Dallas, running back Ezekiel Elliott will be a big part of the gameplan against one of the best defenses in the league. Here’s a look at Zeke’s player props courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott: Week 1 player props
54.5 rushing yards: Over (-120) or Under (-110)
Our pick: Under
The Bucs had the best rushing defense in the league last season and bring every key piece back. There’s no reason to think they won’t try to bottle up Elliott and force the Cowboys to be one-dimensional. The scary thing with this number being low is the possibility for Elliott to break off one big run to end the bet. However, Tampa Bay’s defense is worth backing here.
20.5 receiving yards: Over (-120) or Under (-110)
Our pick: Under
Elliott started off last season on a receiving tear in large part due to Dak Prescott’s ridiculous performances through the air. However, the running back had 20 or less receiving yards in nine of his 15 games last season. Throw in Tony Pollard as the primary receiving back and there’s not much room for Elliott to get above this total.
3.5 receptions: Over (+105) or Under (-140)
Our pick: Under
There’s no point in taking the under for receiving yards and not taking the under here. The Bucs are likely to bottle up Elliott on the ground while moving the ball against the Dallas defense with ease, forcing the Cowboys to throw the ball more. In that scenario, Pollard will get more run than Elliott and the opportunities for receptions goes down significantly.
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