Cowboys vs. Buccaneers odds, line, predictions: NFL Kickoff Game 2021 picks from top-rated expert who’s 27-18

The Dallas Cowboys and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off the NFL’s first 17-game regular season when they meet on Thursday, Sept. 9. Dallas, which finished 6-10 in coach Mike McCarthy’s first year with the team, welcomes the return of quarterback Dak Prescott, who missed most of 2020 with an ankle injury. Tampa Bay, which was 11-5 a season ago, won its second Super Bowl championship in team history with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bucs are looking for back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2007 and 2008.

Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Cowboys vs. Buccaneers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 51.5. Before making any Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks, make sure to check out the expert NFL predictions from SportsLine NFL expert Emory Hunt.

Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player’s perspective.

Hunt has had plenty of success in games involving the Cowboys. In fact, he’s on a 27-18 roll on his against-the-spread NFL picks involving Dallas, returning more than $700 to $100 players. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Hunt 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:

• Cowboys vs. Buccaneers spread: Tampa Bay -7.5
• Cowboys vs. Buccaneers over-under: 51.5 points
• Cowboys vs. Buccaneers money line: Dallas +310, Tampa Bay -400
• DAL: Cowboys are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as underdogs
• TB: Over is 8-2 in the Buccaneers’ last 10 games as home favorites

Why the Buccaneers can cover

Tampa Bay’s defense was also a major part of the Buccaneers’ championship run. Tampa Bay allowed 327.1 yards per game, sixth-best in the league. Leading the defense was linebacker Devin White, who recorded 140 tackles, including 97 solo, with nine sacks for 70 yards. He also registered 18 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. One of his best games of the year was during the Bucs’ 31-26 win in the NFC Championship Game over the Green Bay Packers. In that game, he made 15 tackles, including nine solo. Against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, he had 12 tackles, including eight solo.

Cornerback Carlton Davis was also one of the Buccaneers’ top tacklers in 2020. He finished the regular season with 68 tackles, including 52 solo. He also had 18 pass breakups, tops on the team, and added four interceptions. Davis was a beast in the playoffs, making nine tackles in the NFC wild-card playoff victory at Washington and adding seven against the Packers.

Why the Cowboys can cover

Although Dallas struggled at times on defense in 2020, the unit has a number of playmakers it will look to build around. That includes former second-round draft pick Jaylon Smith. The linebacker led Dallas in tackles a year ago with 154, including 89 solo. He also recorded 1.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. He broke up five passes, intercepted one and recovered a pair of fumbles.

Another key component to the defense is another former second-round pick in defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. He led the Cowboys with 6.5 sacks for 41 yards and had a team-high 15 tackles for loss. For the season, Lawrence registered 58 tackles, including 34 solo, with two pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Lawrence has 45.5 career sacks with 14 forced fumbles.

How to make Cowboys vs. Buccaneers picks

Hunt 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 Emory Hunt’s Cowboys vs. Buccaneers pick and analysis, all from the NFL expert who’s 27-18 on picks involving Dallas, and find out.