:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71847903/1246101850.0.jpg "Cowboys-Bucs predictions: Early pick against the spread for 2023 NFL Wild Card Round matchup")
The Wild Card Weekend will close out with a Monday Night Football matchup as the Dallas Cowboys hit the road for a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN, ABC and ESPN+.
Dallas (12-5) is the top Wild Card team in the NFC, finishing a couple games behind the Philadelphia Eagles, which won the East and the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Cowboys are in the playoffs for the second consecutive season and lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in last year's Wild Card round. The Cowboys won six of seven games before a dud of a performance in a 26-6 loss to the Washington Commanders in the finale.
Tampa Bay (8-9) failed to finish above .500 but still finished a game ahead of every other team in the NFC South, qualifying for the playoffs for the third year in a row. The Bucs lost three games in a row in October but rallied back to win the division with a 30-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the second-to-last contest of the season.
Opening point spread: Cowboys -3
Opening point total: 45
Opening moneyline: Cowboys -165, Bucs +140
Early pick ATS: Bucs +3
Are you betting against Tom Brady getting three points at home in the playoffs? Okay it's not that simple, but points will be hard to come by with the strengths of both teams coming on the defensive side of the ball. Points will become even more valuable than usual in this spot, and whichever team is getting a field goal head start is worth a wager on Monday night.