Cowboys Favored Over Buccaneers in Week 5 "Thursday Night Football"
Despite Tampa Bay's close losses, Dallas' potent offense is expected to dominate.
The Dallas Cowboys are heavily favored against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their Week 5 "Thursday Night Football" matchup, with oddsmakers setting Dallas as 7.5-point favorites. While the Buccaneers have lost all four of their games by one possession, their offensive struggles and defensive inefficiencies are expected to be too much to overcome against the Cowboys' high-powered offense.
Dallas enters the game having scored at least 30 points in three consecutive contests. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been distributing the ball effectively, with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb emerging as a top NFL threat. Lamb leads the league in receptions (37), receiving yards (498), and first-down catches (28). His versatility, lining up both in the slot and on the outside, could pose a significant challenge for a Buccaneers secondary already dealing with injuries.
The Buccaneers' offensive performance has been a concern, with the unit failing to surpass 20 points in any game this season and ranking in the bottom three in EPA per play. Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels has shown flashes of dual-threat ability, but his passing game remains limited, and the team has struggled with turnovers, which have directly led to points for opponents. The offensive line also ranks last in the league in sacks allowed.
Despite the Cowboys' defense allowing significant yardage in recent games, they have managed to secure wins. Their ability to generate pressure has been moderate, with only four sacks through four games. However, the Buccaneers' pass rush has been similarly limited, ranking in the bottom five for pressure rate and having recorded only six sacks this season. This could provide Prescott with ample time to operate behind a Cowboys offensive line that ranks sixth in the NFL in sacks per pass play.
The Buccaneers have not covered the spread in their last 13 games dating back to the previous season, a trend that suggests they may struggle to keep pace with Dallas, regardless of the short week impacting offensive execution.