Buccaneers vs. Cowboys: Odds, Spread, Over/Under and Prediction for NFL Week 1

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl title defense begins on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys in Tampa. The first Thursday Night Football matchup of the year will kick off at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sept. 9. 

Tampa Bay returns every one of its starters from last year’s title run, while the Cowboys are coming off a disappointing season where they lost quarterback Dak Prescott for the year in Week 5. 

Despite concerns about his shoulder this offseason, Prescott is expected to be a full-go for the Cowboys’ season opener as they look to knock off the defending champs. 

Tom Brady is the last quarterback to lose in Week 1 after winning the title the season before (2017), but he will look to avoid that same fate in Tampa Bay. WynnBET is offering a unique “Triple the Spread” offer on opening night, so bettors that are extremely confident in the Bucs (who are the favorites) or need a little more help to guarantee that the Cowboys cover have a great opportunity to make their pick. 

Dallas will be missing a key part of its offensive line, as guard Zack Martin was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and will miss Thursday's game.

This is a big blow for Dallas' running game, and it will need to make sure it keeps Prescott upright against a tough Buccaneers defense.

Here’s how the odds look ahead of Thursday’s season opening matchup: 

Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Spread, Odds and Over/Under

Spread: 

Bucs -7.5: (-105)

Cowboys +7.5: (-115)

Moneyline: 

Bucs: -350

Cowboys: +270

Over/Under: 51.5 (Over: -110/Under: -110)

Cowboys vs. Buccaneers Betting Trends

• Since 2016, Tom Brady has the most wins of any quarterback at 58. 
• Dak Prescott, who was a rookie in 2016, has 42 wins in 69 starts, which is good for the eighth most in the NFL.
• The Bucs were 12-8 against the spread in 2020.
• Dallas was the worst team in the NFL against the spread last season (5-11).
• Both Tampa Bay (11-9) and Dallas (9-7) hit the over in the majority of their games last season.
• Tampa Bay was 3-3 as a home favorite in 2020.
• Defending Super Bowl Champions are 37-16-1 in their first game of the following season all time.

Buccaneers vs. Cowboys Prediction and Pick

If you’re going to take WynnBET’s “Triple the Spread” offer, it’s a no-brainer to me to take Dallas at +22.5. However, let’s look at this game without the offer for my official pick. 

Defending champions are usually very solid on opening night, and the Bucs were 6-3 as the home team in 2020. Dallas will be a completely different offense with Prescott under center, but the Cowboys’ defense still has several questions after a rough 2020 season. 

Dallas allowed the fifth-most points in the NFL last season, and Tampa Bay scored the third-most points, meaning this is the perfect storm for the Bucs to have a big Week 1. Dallas’ offense was much better with Prescott under center last season than Andy Dalton, so I think Dallas has a legitimate chance of putting up some big offensive numbers in this one.

Give me the over 51.5 points at -110 odds and I’ll take the Bucs to cover the 7.5-point spread, as the continuity from last year’s team should give them a major advantage over Dallas and its questionable defense. 

Want a chance to triple the spread for Thursday night’s game? Download the WynnBET app to take advantage of the special “Triple the Spread” offer!