The 2023 NFL season is finally underway and Sunday’s Week 1 slate will feature the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay is coming off a mediocre 8-9 campaign in 2022 where it still managed to win a dismal NFC South. With Tom Brady retiring in the offseason, free agent signing Baker Mayfield is now here to lead the Bucs offense at quarterback. Minnesota is coming off a successful 13-4 season in 2022 where it won the NFC North, but was immediately bounced out of the playoffs by New York. The most notable offseason move the team made was releasing veteran running back Dalvin Cook, opening the door for backup Alexander Mattison to be the starter.
Below, I’ll go over a few of my favorite player props for this Week 1 showdown from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Buccaneers vs. Vikings player prop bets
Baker Mayfield — over 1.5 touchdowns (+140)
Mayfield will be making his debut in a Bucs uniform and is hoping to experience a career renaissance similar to Geno Smith last season. Right out the gate, he is facing a Vikings team that had a bottom-five pass defense in the league a season ago. With veteran options like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to lean on, I think he can get at least two touchdowns through the air.
Alexander Mattison — over 66.5 rushing yards (-115)
With Dalvin Cook gone, Mattison can finally flourish in the backfield on his own. Even with a game-breaker like Justin Jefferson at receiver, establishing the run should still be a top priority for the Vikings and that stands to benefit their new starting running back. I think Mattison will get to at least 70 rushing yards in this one, so I’ll take the over.
Rachaad White — over 18.5 receiving yards (-105)
After getting some important snaps as a rookie last season, White takes over as the Bucs’ top running back with Leonard Fournette being released in the offseason. What made White a valuable prospect heading into the 2022 draft was his abilities as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and he showed some of that as a rookie last season. He will most likely get a few targets in the passing game and I’ll predict he gets at least 19 receiving yards by the end of the game. Take the over.