The Tampa Bay Buccaneers begin defense of their Super Bowl championship when they host the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday. Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is a nine-point favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 52 in the latest Cowboys vs. Buccaneers odds from Caesars Sportsbook.

Dallas is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2020 season in which it lost seven of its first nine games en route to a 6-10 record. Dak Prescott missed the team's final 11 contests due to an ankle injury and did not play this preseason as he recovered from a shoulder strain he suffered in July, but is expected to be under center against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay lost three of its final four games before its bye week last season but was unstoppable upon its return, winning its last four regular-season contests before posting four postseason victories, including a 31-9 triumph over Kansas City in Super Bowl 55. The Buccaneers return all 22 of their starters from the Super Bowl.

Before making any Cowboys vs. Buccaneers picks of your own, you NEED to check out the NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,900 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six years ago. It went a sizzling 24-14 on top-rated NFL picks last season, returning more than $800. The model also enters the 2021 season on an incredible 120-78 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.

The model also ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is WAY UP.

Now, it has set its sights on Cowboys vs. Buccaneers. We can tell you the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NFL picks.

Who wins Cowboys vs. Buccaneers in the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Cowboys vs. Buccaneers spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 120-78 roll on NFL picks!