Cowboys vs. Bucs Week 1 Prediction
Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season kicks off on Thursday night when the defending champion Bucs host the Cowboys at 8:20 p.m. ET. Will the Bucs cover that number or has it been set too high by oddsmakers?
Game Snapshot
451 Dallas Cowboys (+8.5) at 452 Tampa Bay Bucs (-8.5); o/u 51.5
8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday, September 9, 2021
NFL Week 1 Regular Season
Dallas Cowboys DFS Spin
Cowboys RG Zack Martin tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t play in Thursday night’s season opener against the Bucs. The Cowboys will also be without backup OL Brandon Knight, who was ruled a close contact. With Josh Ball (ankle) on IR and RT La’el Collins (neck) questionable, the Cowboys’ already thin offensive line will be at less than full strength against the Super Bowl champs, lowering the floor of Ezekiel Elliott’s Week 1 matchup. Connor McGovern is expected to start in place of Martin.
Tampa Bay Bucs DFS Spin
Tom Brady completed 11-of-14 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in preseason Week 3 against the Texans. Brady dissected a horrendous Houston secondary, finding wide open receivers throughout his short run under center. He enters his age-44 season looking as good — or better — than he has in recent seasons. It was reported in July that Brady played with a partially torn MCL for the entire 2020 season, a remarkable feat considering his production (4,633 yards and 40 touchdown passes). The elder statesman brings no rushing upside in fantasy but should be a solid later-round selection and a high-floor QB2 in superflex formats.
Cowboys vs. Bucs Betting Prediction
The underdog is 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings between these two teams, while the road team has cashed in five of the previous six meetings. The Cowboys are also 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as an underdog, while the Bucs have failed to cover in 10 of their last 14 games when playing Week 1. They’re also 4-10-1 against the number in their last 15 games as a home favorite and 1-6 at the betting window in their last seven games played on Thursday.
NFL WEEK 1 BETTING PREDICTION: DALLAS COWBOYS +8.5