'Thursday Night Football' prediction, odds, time: Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks from expert who's 43-31
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R.J. White reveals his picks for Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Bucs in the 2026 Week 5 'Thursday Night Football' matchup
• 3 min read
The Dallas Cowboys seek to keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winless on the year when they battle in a key NFC matchup on 'Thursday Night Football.' Dallas is coming off a 34-30 comeback win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, while Tampa Bay dropped a 17-14 decision to the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers (0-4), who are 0-2 in the conference, are 0-1 on the road, but have been outscored by just 20 points this season. The Cowboys (2-2), tied with Philadelphia for second in the NFC East, are 1-1 on their home field. Quarterback Baker Mayfield (hand) remains out for Tampa Bay. Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $55 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55:
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Dallas holds a 17-6 edge in the all-time series, including wins in each of the last two meetings. The latest Buccaneers vs. Cowboys odds have Dallas as an 8.5-point favorite. Meanwhile, the over/under for total points scored is 47.5. Before making any Cowboys vs. Buccaneers picks, be sure to see the 'Thursday Night Football' predictions from SportsLine's R.J. White.
CBS Sports' managing editor of Fantasy and gambling, White twice has cashed huge in the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest. White consistently crushes the NFL: He went 803-705-41 on ATS picks from 2017-25, returning more than $2,700 to $100 players as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in against the spread picks on NFL betting sites. He enters this matchup on a 43-31-3 roll on NFL picks, returning $912 to $100 players. Anyone following his picks on betting sites could have seen huge returns.
Now, White has zeroed in on Buccaneers vs. Cowboys. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Cowboys vs. Bucs:
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys spread | Cowboys -8.5 |
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys over/under | 47.5 points |
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys money line | Cowboys -450, Buccaneers +375 |
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks | |
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys streaming | Amazon Prime |
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Top Buccaneers vs. Cowboys predictions
White is leaning Over 47.5 combined points for over/under betting at betting apps. The Over has hit in each of the last 10 Dallas Cowboys games. Defensively, the Cowboys have had a hard time stopping opponents, and are giving up an average of 28 points per game. On offense, however, the Cowboys are averaging 30.5 points, tied with San Francisco for the second-most in the league.
Dallas is led by quarterback Dak Prescott, who has completed 70% of his passes for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception. His top target is CeeDee Lamb, who has 37 catches for 498 yards and four touchdowns. He also has seven explosive plays of 20 or more yards, including a long of 49.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has put up an average of 19 points a game. Running back Bucky Irving helps lead the offense, carrying 56 times for 241 yards and one touchdown, and he gets to face a Dallas defense 28th in points allowed. The Over has hit in two of the last four Tampa Bay games. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Buccaneers vs. Cowboys picks
White also has found a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Cowboys vs. Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, and what X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Buccaneers vs. Cowboys spread you need to jump, all from the expert who has returned $912 to $100 players over his last 77 NFL picks, and find out.
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