NFL Betting Preview: Dallas Cowboys Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -445 odds favorites to beat the Dallas Cowboys (+330) for the first game of the year.
• The spread is set at -8.0 Buccaneers while the over-under projection is set at 51.5 points.

TAMPA, Fla. – The NFL season is officially here and the first game of the season will see the defending Super Bowl Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.

Odds are on the Buccaneers make them heavy favorites in large part due to the additions on offense and the returning of their stellar defense this season.

Additionally, the Cowboys are seeing the return of Dak Prescott who suffered a season-ending injury last year. NFL betting fans may be skeptical about Prescott’s performance for his first game back.

Thursday Night Football Odds

Following winning the Super Bowl, the Buccaneers did not rest on their laurels, instead, they were aggressive during the offseason.

Tampa retained their top 10 defense, resigned WR Antonio Brown, and added WR Jaydon Mickens, RB Darwin Thompson, WR Cyril Grayson, WR Travis Jonsen, and TE Codey McElroy increasing their overall options on offense for QB Tom Brady.

Betting fans are clearly impressed with the Buccaneers offseason moves with how favored they are to take the first win of the season.

Underdogs Looking At Cowboys

The Cowboys on the other hand are also coming back strong which should make them the perfect pick for underdog betting fans. Dallas struggled last season and finished with a 4-11 record, but this was mainly due to injury and the team is coming back healthy.

Dak Prescott is returning with a healthy offensive line as offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are also returning.

The Cowboys’ offense as a whole is solid with WRs CeeDee Lamb and Amri Cooper as Dak’s main weapons, alongside the running threat of Ezekiel Elliot.

The Buccaneers’ defense will be the ultimate test for the Cowboys this season, so expect the offense to play aggressively which could lean in longshot bettors’ favor.

The Cowboys’ defense was in the bottom half of the league last season, but through the draft and off-season pickups, they have improved, at least on paper.

Dallas added DL Carlos Watkins, CB Kyron Brown, and LS Jake McQuaide while also agreeing to terms with DE Chauncey Golston and CB Nahshon Wright.

These moves make Dallas a legit threat to upset win against the Bucs. Longshot betting fans may want to jump on these odds before they shift at legal sports betting sites. Kickoff starts at 8:20 PM ET and fans can catch the game on NBC.

News tags: Antonio Brown | CeeDee Lamb | Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys | Ezekiel Elliot | Florida | Jerry Jones | NFL | Rob Gronkowski | Tampa | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tom Brady