Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: The best player prop bets for TNF

Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers superteam will kick off the 2021 NFL season against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football, at 8:20 p.m. ET.

The reigning Super Bowl champ, Tampa Bay, ranked second in passing yards (289.1 per game) and third in points scored (30.8) last season, while the Cowboys stumbled behind a historically poor defense in head coach Mike McCarthy's first season.

The Dallas offense also had its issues, after Prescott went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5.

The two-time Pro Bowler will return to action Thursday, fully healed from last year's ailment, but will be nursing a shoulder strain that he suffered in offseason practices.

Even with Prescott at less than 100%, he and his talented arsenal of weapons should cause a few headaches for the stalwart Bucs defense.

Let's further examine Thursday's matchup and explore the three best player props to bet.

Tom Brady: Over/Under 300.5 passing yards

At the ripe age of 43, Brady ranked third in the league in passing yards per game (289.6) last season and was second in touchdown passes (40), behind 2021 MVP Aaron Rodgers.

He'll face a Dallas defense that surrendered 227.6 passing yards per contest (11th fewest) and 2.1 passing touchdowns per game (tied for second most).

The Cowboys' most glaring issue on that side of the ball was its rushing defense, which ranked second to last in the NFL, with 158.8 yards surrendered per game.

The team drafted linebacker Micah Parsons with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and five more defensive players, in the second through fourth rounds, to address some of those issues.

Those rookies may fix the Dallas defense over time, but not in Week 1.

Tampa Bay will exploit the Cowboys' inexperience and turn to the ground game to do the most damage.

Brady will get a touchdown or two of his own, but look for Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II (plus new addition Giovani Bernard, if healthy) to rack up a ton of yards on the retooled Dallas defense, which will work under new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Pick: Under 300.5 passing yards

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Mike Evans: Over/Under 63.5 receiving yards

While Tampa Bay's run game will likely be the focus on offense, Brady will air it out plenty against the Cowboys.

He possesses an embarrassment of riches at receiver, but Mike Evans has emerged as a favorite target.

In 2020, Evans recorded his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season and ranked fourth in the league in touchdown receptions (13). Chris Godwin, who was franchise tagged this offseason, averaged more receiving yards per game (70) than Evans (62.9) but played just 12 games because of injury.

Godwin was limited in Tuesday's practice with a quad injury, while another popular target of Brady's, Antonio Brown, missed practice because of a knee issue.

Without Godwin and Brown at full speed, Brady will have  more reason to look Evans' way.

Look for the powerhouse wideout to lead his team in receiving yards.

Pick: Over 63.5 receiving yards

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Ezekiel Elliott: Over/Under 3.5 receptions

The Dallas offense will enter Week 1 shorthanded, after Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin tested positive for COVID-19. Right tackle La'el Collins has also been hampered by a neck stinger but was back to full practice this week.

A weakened offensive line will hurt Dallas against the league's best rushing defense (80.6 yards per game) and one of the top pass-rushing units (tied for fourth-most sacks last season).

Running back Ezekiel Elliott will have his work cut out for him on the ground, but the bruising back is also a reliable receiver.

The Bucs allowed an NFL-leading 101 receptions and the ninth-most receiving yards to running backs in 2020.

Elliott probably won't find the open lanes to run up and down the field, but he should haul in a handful of short passes from Prescott and move the chains as a receiver.

Pick: Over 3.5 receptions