Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Preview

Football is back! With the preseason behind us, Thursday will feature the first game of the 2021 NFL regular season as the Dallas Cowboys take on the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers will host this one at Raymond James Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm ET.

Last season was a disappointing one for the Cowboys as they finished 6-10 overall, good enough for third in the NFC East. Unfortunately, they lost quarterback Dak Prescott after just five games and could never get going after that. Still, in a weak division, they still only finished a game out of first place.

It was a much more successful season for the Buccaneers, who finished 11-5 in the regular season and went on to win the Super Bowl. With the champion team mostly returning intact, the ageless Tom Brady will look to repeat and win his eighth Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -390 to win while the Cowboys’ moneyline sits at +310. The spread features Dallas +8 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 52 (-110).

By The Numbers

Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the best offenses in the NFL. They ranked second in scoring averaging 30.8 points per game. The Dallas Cowboys ranked 17th, averaging 24.7 points (19.6 on the road).

Defensively, it was once again the Buccaneers with the advantage. They ranked seventh in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 21.6 points per game. The Cowboys ranked 28th allowing 29.6 points per game.
Dallas is 7-1 straight up in their last eight games against the Buccaneers, but they are 2-9 straight up in their last 11 road games overall.

The Buccaneers are 7-0 in their last seven games against NFC opponents, and they are 4-1 against the spread in their last five home games.

Cowboys Favorites To Take Division

After finishing in third in the NFC East last year, the Cowboys are currently the favorites to take the division this year at +150. That is in large part due to the return of quarterback Dak Prescott.

After breaking his ankle last season, Prescott appears to be over those woes; however, he has been plagued by a shoulder strain for most of the preseason. Last season, in five games, Prescott threw for 1,856 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions.

On the ground, it will once again be Ezekiel Elliott getting the lion’s share of the work in the backfield. Last season, he rushed 244 times for 979 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 52 receptions for 338 yards and another couple scores.

Tampa Bay Set To Defend Title

After stringing together eight straight wins and winning last year’s Super Bowl, head coach Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers are shooting to make it two in a row. Currently, they have the second-best odds of winning Super Bowl LVI, behind the Kansas City Chiefs, at +650.

Leading the way under center is the ageless wonder Tom Brady. Now 44-years-old, Brady did not show any signs of slowing down last year. He threw for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions.
Brady will also have his favorite targets back in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Last year, Evans had 70 receptions for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Godwin had 65 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns.

Taking Brady To Win And Cover

Generally speaking, the Buccaneers have not always been fast out of the gates in the past. In fact, last season, they lost their opener to the New Orleans Saints by double-digits.

Still, this is a team exuding with confidence, and they are going against a Dallas team that has some concerns. Most notably is whether Prescott is one hundred percent under center and whether the defense is up to the task of slowing down the Bucs.

Definitely take Tampa Bay to win this contest, and don’t shy away from them covering the 8-point spread.