The 2021 NFL season will kick off on Thursday night, and the matchup between the defending Super Bowl champion and the US team will kick off on Thursday night. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys in the highly anticipated first game of Week 1.
After winning the championship, the Pirates are a popular bet to win the NFC. Dallas is the favorite of the NFC East, although after finishing last season with a 6-10 record, they are far from a strong contender for the playoffs.
According to the latest betting odds, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are 7.5 points higher than Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. FanDuel sports bettingThe big/small is 51.5.
Tampa Bay will almost certainly become one of the best teams in the NFL for the second year in a row. The Buccaneers will return all 22 starters from their Super Bowl roster. Brady may get better in 2021 because he spent a year in Tampa Bay and has a lot of experience in coach Bruce Arians’ system.
The Pirates ended the 2020 regular season with four consecutive victories. Tampa Bay defeated Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl.
Because Prescott missed the last 11 games due to an ankle injury, it is difficult to evaluate the 2020 season of the Cowboys. Due to a shoulder strain, the quarterback did not participate in the preseason. If Prescott is unrestricted, Dallas’ offense should be one of the best units in the league. That’s not the case with the Cowboys defense.
In the 2020 season, only four teams scored higher than Dallas. Despite facing many bad NFC Eastern quarterbacks, the Cowboys have a passing score of 100.4.
Unless Dallas’ draft picks immediately have a major impact, the defense may be close to the bottom of the league again.
On the defensive side, and to some extent Prescott’s health and offensive line (six pro Bowl guard Zach Martin will not play after testing positive for COVID-19), the Cowboys are entering the No. Facing some major problems in 1 week. The Pirates have no such concerns.
Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The 44-year-old has a better weapon than almost any signal caller. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski are all back.
Tampa Bay ranked in the top ten defensively in last year’s regular season. In their last game, the team controlled Mahomes and the Chiefs without a touchdown, which seemed an impossible task.
The Super Bowl champions should start the 2021 season from where they stopped.
prophecy: Tampa Bay beat Dallas 34-23
Photo: Getty Images North America/Patrick Smith
