Despite being a matchup of two east coast teams, one of the NFL Week 1 games that will lead us into Sunday Night Football is at Raymond James Stadium with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Washington Commanders. It may not be a clash of juggernauts, but there is still plenty of intrigue, especially with Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

That’s why we want to make sure that you have full access to our best Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions so that you can ultimately lock in your Commanders vs. Buccaneers picks. So, let’s get into our breakdown plus a $1,000 Caesars Sportsbook welcome bonus.

 

 

 

Commanders vs. Buccaneers Predictions for NFL Week 1, Sunday, 9/8

There have been plenty of rookie QBs in the spotlight this offseason, but one that seems to be a bit more under the radar is Daniels. That’s not just because of his smaller size, either. Analysts have been enamored with Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams and even Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix, but Daniels has a real chance to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That would be getting a bit ahead of ourselves, but he has the best running ability of the bunch. He may not turn out to be the next Lamar Jackson, but he could provide Washington with the spark they need.

As for Tampa, they put their faith in a different former Heisman Trophy winner in Baker Mayfield. While we may recognize the QB names in this matchup, both teams have plenty to prove. Specifically, the Commanders defense was one of the most underperforming units of the season last year.

That’s what Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is known for, so don’t be surprised at a low-scoring contest. However, we’re focused on a different market for our best Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions.

 

 

 

Washington Commanders: New Offense = New Results?

Before we get into our overall best bet, what about the Washington offense? We noted that their defense needs to improve - especially in the passing game - but it’s their offense that will look even more different to open the season.

Of course, that all starts with Daniels, but he isn’t the only new face. In fact, he’s not even the only new one in the Commanders’ backfield. Former Los Angeles Charger RB Austin Ekeler took the trip cross country to the nation’s capital to join Daniels. As many fantasy football managers know, he has been a reliable dual threat, which could serve as a security blanket for a rookie QB.

That could also take attention off star WR Terry McLaurin, so the Commanders offense may be more feared than many expect. 

 

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: In Baker They Trust

Sticking with the theme of offense, there was speculation this offseason as to whether or not Tampa would keep Baker on the west coast of Florida. They decided to do so to the tune of a three-year, $100 million contract.

Whether fans agree with that significant value or not, he’s going to be the one throwing to the strong WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. If the two can avoid injuries, which has been more difficult than not for them, they could be quite explosive as well.

Even still, Baker was able to prove himself as more than a journeyman last season with over 4,000 passing yards and a 94.6 passer rating. So, the question seems to be whether or not the Bucs can have a stable running game.

 

 

 

Commanders vs. Buccaneers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

Thanks to Caesars Sportsbook, we’ve able to get the best point spread possible for the best bet of our Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions. Here are their latest odds:

 

 

 

Commanders vs. Buccaneers Point Spread: Washington +3.5 (+100 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Most other sportsbooks have Washington as three-point favorites, which means that we’re avoiding the push condition for your Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions. Even still, we’d back the Commanders at that number.

Outside of being at home, there’s not a ton of reason as to why the Bucs should be so heavily favored. Admittedly, they may be due to the combination of Washington’s poor secondary last season and Baker’s improvement, but we’re not so sure that we buy into that just yet.

Not only that, but Washington clearly understood that defense was the name of the game when they made their head-coaching hire this offseason. They went with Dan Quinn, who is a respected defensive mind in the NFL. Shortly thereafter, the Commanders also added stud LB Bobby Wagner from the Seattle Seahawks.

Additionally, they also made it a point to develop Daniels in the best way possible by hiring Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator. We’re not saying that they’ll take over the NFC East, but for this opening game, the best bet from our Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions is Washington +3.5 (+100 at Caesars Sportsbook).

 

 

 

Commanders vs. Buccaneers Injury Report & Latest News

After going through several players in our Commanders vs. Buccaneers predictions that we’ll see on the field, here are some that are in question due to injury: 

WAS Commanders:

TB Buccaneers:

 

 

 

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