Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Player Prop Picks: Can Tampa Go Back to Back?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Player Prop Picks: Can Tampa Go Back to Back?
The Philadelphia Eagles are on their way to Tampa to face off against the defending champs. Some may say the Buccaneers limped to the finish line due to all of their sustained injuries toward the end of the season. But, it probably feels like a new season is just beginning for the Bucs.
Tampa clinched their division early, and their last three games (vs. Panthers, vs. Jets, vs. Panthers again) were essentially get-right, tune-up games before the postseason. As 8.5-point home favorites, this is a great spot for the Bucs to start another postseason run.
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Same-Game Parlay: Leonard Fournette Over 15.5 Rush Attempts + Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+245) (Bet $100 to Win $245)
*EDITORS NOTE: FOURNETTE WAS NOT ACTIVATED AND WILL NOT PLAY ON SUNDAY*
The value we're getting on this parlay is unbelievable, so please make sure to say thank you to Caesar's (if you're not able to play an attempts/TD parlay, I'm also good with the over on his rushing yards + a TD).
Leonard Fournette earned the nickname "Playoff Lenny" for his terrific performance during Tampa's run last season. The nickname then turned into "Lombardi Lenny" after the Bucs won the whole thing. Well, Playoff Lenny happened to show up in the regular season in 2021, too. He had the most efficient season of his career, averaging over five yards per touch for the first time in his career. Fournette also piled up 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games this regular season.
Fournette had at least 16 carries and a touchdown in three of his four playoff games last season and his only miss came against the Packers, where Ronald Jones II stole 10 rush attempts away from Fournette, causing him to finish with just 12. However, that won't be an issue this week. RoJo won't be suiting up for Sunday's date with the Eagles due to an ankle injury, which leaves more opportunities for Playoff Lenny to re-emerge.
Tampa has been a pass-heavy team this season, leading the NFL in pass rate. They've only averaged 19.9 RB carries per game, but there should be enough room for Fournette to find his way to 16. Fournette had 22 carries and 2 scores last game against Philly, and that could point to a heavy workload for the Bucs' top runner, especially with Jones sidelined.
As long as he sees sufficient volume, I love Fournette's chances to find the end zone. He saw 15+ carries five times this season, and scored a touchdown in four of them. In total, the former Jacksonville Jaguar had 7 touchdowns in these five games. The Eagles gave up 18 rushing touchdowns this season, good for 8th most in the NFL. Philly ranked as the league's 5th-worst red-zone defense, while the Buccaneers were the NFL's 2nd-best red-zone offense. The scoring chances will be there on Sunday.
The weather forecast is calling for 20+ mile-per-hour winds at Raymond James Stadium all day Sunday, in addition to thunderstorms earlier in the day. Tampa Bay is already down many of their best receivers, and disgusting weather certainly doesn't make throwing downfield any easier. It will likely be in the Bucs' best interest to play it safe and rely on their run game along with shorter passes underneath, forcing Jalen Hurts and the Eagles to make big plays and beat them.
I'm expecting Fournette to be all systems go for this one, and there's a great chance he sees plenty of work in an ugly Tampa win.