Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
vs. 
Dallas Cowboys (0-0) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)
Thursday September 9th
8:20pm
NBC
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -7.5 (-120)
Over/Under 52 (-110)
The reigning Super Bowl champions take aim at their title defens3 when they kick off the 2021 season Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys in Tampa. The offseason was good to both teams as the Buccaneers bring back their entire starting lineup, and the Cowboys welcome quarterback Dak Prescott back after missing the final 12 games of the 2020 season. Based upon early ratings from college football’s opening weekend, there are going to be a lot of eyes on the Thursday season kickoff. There are a lot of questions that will be answered early on for two teams that have Super Bowl aspirations heading into the year.
What We’re Watching
The Dallas Cowboys enter the season with very high expectations, coming off of a very deflating season that saw it’s leader lost for the year early on. Dak Prescott has really been unable to practice much after not only rehabilitating his ankle, but also a more recent shoulder injury. Prescott says he’s ready to go, and the Cowboys are going to need a healthy Dak at quarterback if they have any hope of making the postseason. The quarterback position isn’t the only one that was hobbled as the Cowboys vaunted offensive line was also ravaged by injuries. The team should have their two stalwart tackles back as Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are both set to take the field. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be without starting Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin, who will miss the opener after testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. (Yes, it appears handicappers are absolutely going to need to be nimble and aware of what’s going on with the testing protocols before each game). The Boys’ are confident that Connor McGovern can step in, and they’re going to need him to against the fierce Tampa Bay defense. The front seven of Tampa is arguably the best in the league as they can stuff the run with the best of them, and get after the passer. All you need to have watched is Super Bowl LV to see what kind of a defense the Buccaneers can put out there as they absolutely manhandled the Kansas City Chiefs. Without Zack Martin on the interior, and with a generally stout TB run defense, don’t expect to see a lot in the running game from Ezekiel Elliott. Zeke is due for a nice rebound season, but that’ll have to wait until he has a little better matchup. The Cowboys receiving trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are going to need to get open and give Dak Prescott quick throws that allow them to make plays with to offset the aggressive Tampa defense. Even though the Bucs’ linebackers are elite, don’t be shocked if Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin see a lot of targets over the middle at the tight end position. Assuming Tyron Smith and La’el Collins can handle business on the outside, the matchup to watch will really be on the interior of the line. The proverbial “battle in the trenches”.
What is left to say about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that wasn’t put on display during their playoff run a year ago? The team is not only stacked with talent, but has depth at the skill positions, and has the ability to play physical football or air it out. The ageless Tom Brady has really shown zero sign of physical decay, although we all know it can happen quickly once it starts to go. We’re going to give the G.O.A.T. the benefit of the doubt that he’ll be ready for 2021 and in this case the Cowboys defense. Speaking of the Cowboys defense, this unit was really awful a season ago at every level. The team drafted Micah Parsons to play strong side linebacker, and early indicators are showing that he could be even better than advertised. He’ll have his work cut out for him in his debut, battling not only Brady, but a complex offensive scheme over the middle of the field. The Cowboys will need their edge rush tandem of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory to really heat up the pressure to give their revamped secondary some help. Folks in Dallas believe Trevon Diggs can be a star, but we have to imagine that Bruce Arians likes his chances of lining up his own WR trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown against the Cowboys corners and safeties. Throughout his career, when Brady has struggled, it’s been due to heavy pressure up the middle and in his face and around his legs. That’s a tall task for the interior of the Cowboys defense which is largely unproven.
Key Trends and Indicators
Tampa Bay finished the 2020 season 5-1 ATS in their final 6 games
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in September
Public money early in the week is sitting at approximately Tampa Bay at 57% and Dallas at 43%
The total has stayed under in the last five meetings between Tampa Bay and Dallas
BetCrushers Take:
When you have two teams coming into a season amped up, anything can certainly happen. Eventually, this game is going to come down to both the X’s and O’s, and the players on the field. Dallas is going to need some time to knock the rust off, not only with Dak Prescott but at other key positions as well. The continuity and playing at home, along with having a veteran leader like Tom Brady makes this a really tall task to expect the Cowboys to come in and steal an upset win. There is a chance this game could turn into a shootout, but more than likely, we won’t be shocked if this game gets away from the Cowboys at some point in the second half. Later in the season, the Cowboys should be a pretty good offensive, and overall team. In week one, the offense may struggle a bit to get going against one of the better defenses in the league. Tampa Bay should start their title defense with a 1-0 mark, barring a pretty substantial upset.
Below you’ll find some potential wagers you may want to consider. We have one official play on the game and it’s leg one of an obvious teaser. We’re looking to tease Tampa Bay down past the key number and get them at -1.5. Realistically, they should cover the number anyhow, but the tease seems like a freebie. We’ve gone ahead and paired the first game of week 1 with one with a quieter team as we’ll be teasing the Philadelphia Eagles up to a +9.5. Remember, it’s a long season, pace yourself and have fun!
