Cowboys vs. Buccaneers odds, line, predictions: NFL Kickoff Game 2021 picks from football expert who’s 27-18
A healthier Dallas Cowboys team looks to turn around its fortunes in the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday. The Cowboys saw their season go off the rails in 2020 when quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. Dallas finished tied for second in the NFC East with the New York Giants, but dipped to 6-10 overall, their first losing season since 2015 and just their second since going 6-10 in 2004. The Buccaneers (11-5), meanwhile, won their final four regular-season games and all four playoff games behind the guidance of veteran quarterback Tom Brady.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is an eight-point favorite in the latest Cowboys vs. Buccaneers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 52. Before making any Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks, make sure to check out the expert NFL predictions from SportsLine NFL expert Emory Hunt.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player’s perspective.
Hunt has had plenty of success in games involving the Cowboys. In fact, he’s on a 27-18 roll on his against-the-spread NFL picks involving Dallas, returning more than $700 to $100 players. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hunt has set his sights on Buccaneers vs. Cowboys in the NFL Kickoff Game 2021 and just revealed his NFL expert picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Cowboys vs. Bucs:
- Cowboys vs. Buccaneers spread: Tampa Bay -8
- Cowboys vs. Buccaneers over-under: 52 points
- Cowboys vs. Buccaneers money line: Dallas +310, Tampa Bay -400
- DAL: Cowboys are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as underdogs
- TB: Over is 8-2 in the Buccaneers’ last 10 games as home favorites
Featured Game | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Why the Buccaneers can cover
Tampa Bay has one of the deepest receiving corps in the league, led by a pair of veterans in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Godwin is a fifth-year veteran who finished 2020 as the Bucs’ second-leading receiver. He had some of his best games in the postseason, with five catches each in the NFC wild-card win at Washington and NFC Championship Game at Green Bay. For the season, Godwin had 65 receptions for 840 yards (12.9 average) and seven touchdowns with 13 explosive plays and 43 first-down conversions.
Evans, entering his eighth season, played in all 16 regular-season games, leading Tampa Bay with 70 receptions for 1,006 yards (14.4 average) and 13 touchdowns. Evans was a weapon who gave opposing defenses fits with 20 explosive plays of 20 yards or more. He also converted a team-best 55 first downs. In the postseason, Evans registered touchdown catches in both the NFC divisional win over the Saints and the NFC title game victory over the Packers. Evans has had success in three career games against the Cowboys with 18 receptions for 275 yards (15.3 average) and one touchdown.
Why the Cowboys can cover
Prescott was having a standout year when he went down against the Giants in Week 5. In the five games he played in in 2020, Prescott completed 151 of 222 passes (68 percent) for 1,856 yards and nine touchdowns. He was intercepted four times, but had a rating of 99.6. A year earlier, Prescott had similar numbers over 16 games with a 99.7 rating. That season, he completed 388 of 596 passes (65.1 percent) for 4,902 yards and 30 TDs against just 11 picks. If he continues at that pace, Dallas should find success.
Among those expected to benefit with Prescott’s return is tight end Dalton Schultz, who is expected to play a key role in coach Mike McCarthy’s offense. In 16 games in 2020, Schultz was the Cowboys’ fourth-leading receiver with 63 receptions for 615 yards (9.8 average) and four touchdowns. He had three explosive plays and converted 33 first downs. His most productive game was in a 40-39 Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons when he caught nine passes for 88 yards (9.8 average) and one touchdown.
How to make Cowboys vs. Buccaneers picks
Hunt is leaning under on the point total, and he’s also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing that pick and the rest of his NFL expert picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Buccaneers vs. Cowboys? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Emory Hunt’s Cowboys vs. Buccaneers pick and analysis, all from the NFL expert who’s 27-18 on picks involving Dallas, and find out.
