Public pounding Buccaneers against Cowboys for NFL season opener
Bettors are pouring money on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Thursday’s season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
The defending Super Bowl champions have climbed to 9-point home favorites against Dallas, up from -7½ and -8 earlier in the week. The line opened months ago at Tampa Bay -6½.
Boyd Gaming and the Golden Nugget were at -9½ on Thursday afternoon. Circa Sports was the only sportsbook holding at 8½.
“We’re definitely Cowboys fans tonight,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “I hope after the game we’re saying, ‘How ’bout them Cowboys.’”
Other sportsbook directors agreed that they were seeing one-way action on the Buccaneers, who have brought every starter back, including seven-time champion quarterback Tom Brady, from the team that beat Kansas City 31-9 in the Super Bowl. Also, the Cowboys will be without standout guard Zack Martin because of a positive COVID test.
Liability is also piling up on Tampa Bay as the first leg of teasers and money-line parlays.
“Very one-sided to the Bucs,” Westgate SuperBook sportsbook director John Murray said via text message. “Teasers, money-line parlays all starting with the Bucs. Line has been pushing up all week between the volume of Bucs bets and Zack Martin being ruled out.”
The Buccaneers were as high as -500 on the money line at Resorts World and as low as -420 at BetMGM on Thursday afternoon. The best price on the Cowboys was +375 at Caesars Sports and the Wynn; the lowest was +325 at BetMGM.
“It’s all Bucs,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said via text message. “Straight, parlays, teasers, money line.”
Esposito said the game was attracting a solid handle, as to be expected with these two teams.
“The volume’s been tremendous, kind of following what we saw the last weekend for college football,” he said. “It’s the defending champs and Brady against America’s Team.”
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.