Prop Holliday - Bobby Stanley
Our first Monday Night Football double-header of the season features a pair of compelling matchups, including the Houston Texans taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Houston enters this game looking to bounce back from an ugly 14-9 Week 1 loss against the Rams, while the Buccaneers squeaked out a last second victory over the Falcons on the road. Both teams carry realistic playoff hopes this season and Bucs rookie WR Emeka Egbuka thrusted himself into the OROY conversation with a pair of touchdowns in his first game. Let’s get into my best player prop bet for Monday’s contest, and be sure to check out our expert’s Buccaneers vs Texans predictions for this matchup.
Dalton Schultz (HOU) over 35.5 receiving yards (-110)
Line available on Bet365 at the time of publishing. Playable to 37.5
Schultz went for 3 receptions and 28 yards on 5 targets in Week 1, but the shocker was his 54% of offensive snaps. I watched the game fairly closely (being the Rams fan that I am) and was waiting for him to pop, but the Rams defense was swarming over the middle of the field. This time around, Schultz should see a snap boost with Cade Stover out now with a broken foot. Despite Schultz landing on 28 yards against a Week 1 line of 30.5, this line still sits at 35.5 with some sites flashing as high as 39.5. That alone should tell you that the market is bullish in Schultz in Week 2, and for good reason.
The Buccaneers are a much softer defensive scheme and showed major signs of withering against tight ends in 2024. Last season after their bye, tight ends averaged 6.4 targets for 4.6 receptions and 49 yards per game against Tampa Bay. Schultz led the team in targets Week 1 and I’m expecting him to be near the top again, with 6 or 7 targets likely being the case. Kyle Pitts flashed against Tampa Week 1, finishing with 8 targets, 7 receptions and 59 yards, so that indicates that Schultz has a much easier matchup in Week 2. The Texans lack a real second option in the passing game, and until that person steps up, Schultz props are ripe for the picking.
