Thursday Night Football in Week 5 of the NFL season features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. Although Dallas is a somewhat disappointing 2-2 so far, that is still two games better than a winless Tampa Bay squad. Adding insult to injury for the Bucs, they have to go on the road and play in AT&T Stadium.
Let’s dive into my Bucs vs. Cowboys predictions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys odds
Money line: Buccaneers +365 / Cowboys -480
Spread: Buccaneers +8.5 (-110) / Cowboys -8.5 (-110)
Total: Over 47.5 (-110) / Under 47.5 (-110)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys best bet #1: Cowboys -8.5 (-110)
Make no mistake about it: the Bucs are awful. That is especially the case without quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is out due to a dislocated right thumb. Although Tampa Bay been competitive in every single game so far, it has not exactly been facing spectacular competition. The Bucs’ only two opponents up to this point currently with winning records are ones with subpar offenses in Cleveland and Minnesota. As such, they always had a prayer of keeping pace in those games.
They may not have one on Thursday, because it’s safe to say that the Bucs are finally going up against a team with a dynamic offense. The Cowboys rank second league wide in scoring at 30.5 points per game and are averaging 34.0 ppg over their last three contests. Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens simply look far too formidable for an undermanned opponent that is 0-4 and playing on the road.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys best player prop bet: Jalon Daniels Over 181.5 passing yards (-113)
It’s unlikely that Daniels will suddenly set the world on fire as an undrafted rookie making his second NFL start. However, he could surpass this 181.5 quota basically by default. If the Bucs are playing from behind the entire night (and the spread suggests they will be), they will have to air it out early and often. And good things usually happen when you do that against the Cowboys, whose defense is mediocre at best. Dallas is No. 24 in the NFL against the pass (239.3 yards per game allowed) after finishing dead last in that department last season.
It’s also worth noting that Daniels was decent at times last week against the Packers. The Kansas product completed 66.7 percent of his attempts, led a 12-play, 84-yard drive that got his team within three points early in the fourth quarter, and he also rushed for 55 yards. With a start under his belt and with a favorable matchup against a generous defense, Daniels could be productive.
Leave a Reply