Dak Prescott missed the Dallas Cowboys‘ final 11 games last season due to a broken ankle and skipped the 2021 preseason while he nursed a sprained shoulder. Now, Prescott enters without one of his top protectors, as guard Zack Martin tested positive for COVID-19 and will sit out Thursday’s 2021 NFL Kickoff Game. Prescott and the Cowboys will attempt to overcome the disadvantage when they visit the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET in Tampa Bay. Caesars Sportsbook lists Tampa Bay as a nine-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 52 in the latest Buccaneers vs. Cowboys odds. Before making any Cowboys vs. Buccaneers picks, make sure to check out the expert NFL predictions from SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White.
White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports and SportsLine, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. That success is no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White 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:
- Buccaneers vs. Cowboys spread: Tampa Bay -9
- Buccaneers vs. Cowboys over-under: 52 points
- Buccaneers vs. Cowboys money line: Dallas +350, Tampa Bay -450
- DAL: Cowboys finished 5-11 against the spread in 2020
- TB: Bucs were 12-8 against the spread last season
Featured Game | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Why the Cowboys can cover
Prescott set the NFL record for most passing yards in his team’s first four games in 2020 (1,690) and has one of the most dangerous receiving duos in the league in Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. In addition, the Cowboys have two quality tight ends, as Blake Jarwin is back after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 last year to join Dalton Schultz.
The 27-year-old Jarwin was projected to be Dallas’ starter at the position in 2020 after recording over 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns each of the previous two seasons. After making just one catch over 16 games in 2019, Schultz proved to be a capable replacement last year. The 25-year-old, a fourth-round pick out of Stanford in the 2018 NFL Draft, hauled in 63 passes for 615 yards and the first four TDs of his career.
Why the Buccaneers can cover
Brady had little with which to work on offense in his final year with New England in 2019, but it was a completely different situation for him in Tampa Bay last year. The legendary quarterback threw touchdown passes to 10 different players and connected most often with Mike Evans, who finished fourth in the NFL and set a career-high with 13 scoring catches. The 28-year-old wide receiver also led the Buccaneers with 70 receptions and 1,006 yards, making him the first player in league history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first seven seasons.
The 44-year-old Brady also was reunited with former Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski, who ended a one-year retirement for the chance to recreate the magic the two had in New England. Gronkowski, 32, was tied for second on the Buccaneers in the regular season with seven TD receptions and had two more in Super Bowl LV. Brady and Gronkowski have teamed up for 98 overall touchdowns, the second-most by a quarterback-receiver duo in NFL history behind Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (114), and own the league record for most total postseason (15) and Super Bowl (five) scoring hookups.
How to make Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks
White 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 R.J. White’s Cowboys vs. Buccaneers pick and analysis, all from the NFL expert who finished last season on an 80-59 heater on NFL picks, and find out.
