The Washington Commanders begin a new era as they hit the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Commanders-Buccaneers prediction and pick.
The Washington Commanders begin a new era after a rough last season. After a 4-13 season, the Commanders cleaned house. They fired General Manager Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Ron Rivera. Adam Peters comes in as the new General Manager, while Dan Quinn has been hired as the new head coach. They brought in Kliff Kingsbury to run the offense as well. He will have the second pick in the draft, quarterback Jayden Daniels to work with this year on offense.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to build on the success of last year. It was a 9-8 season for Todd Bowles and the Bucs. They would win the NFC South, and host a playoff game against the Eagles. It would be a 32-9 win in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, which set up a road game against the Detroit Lions. It was a tight first three quarters between the two teams, but the Lions would take control of the game in the fourth, winning 31-23.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Commanders-Buccaneers Odds
Washington Commanders: +3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +148
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -176
Over: 42.5 (-115)
Under: 42.5 (-105)
How to Watch Commanders vs. Buccaneers
Time: 4:25 PM ET/ 1:25 PM PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Commanders Could Cover The Spread/Win
Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels has been named the starting quarterback for the Commanders this year. Jayden Daniels played in two games in the preseason, completing 12 of 15 passes for 123 yards. He also ran the ball three times for 16 yards. Daniels scored both through the air and on the ground in the pre-season. Running is a major part of the game for Jayden Daniels. He ran for 1,134 yards and ten scores last year at LSU while running for over 800 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. Daniels compiled over 12,000 yards and had 89 touchdown passes in his time in college.
The running game will also have Brian Robinson Jr. back. Robinson ran 178 times in 15 games, going for 733 yards and five touchdowns. He also brought in 368 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Robinson will be joined by Austin Ekeler coming from the Chargers. He ran for 628 yards and five scores last year while also having 436 receiving yards and a score. Terry McLaurin is back to lead the receivers. He brought in 79 receptions for 1,002 yards plus four scores last year. He will be joined by new additions. Noah Brown comes in from Houston, after having 567 yards and two scores last year. Zach Ertz comes in from Arizona, where the tight end had played in just seven games, having 187 yards and a score.
The defense also brings in a lot of new parts. Free-agent signings Bobby Wagner and Dante Fowler come in for the linebacking corp, while Mike Sainristil will be the nickel-back after a solid year at Michigan and being drafted in the second round.
Why The Buccaneers Could Cover The Spread/Win
Baker Mayfield will be leading the offense once against for the Buccaneers. He completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns last year. He threw just ten interceptions on the year while being sacked 40 times in 17 games. Further, he will have his top two receivers back this year. Mike Evans brought in 79 receptions last year, going for 1,255 yards and 13 scores last year. Further, Chris Godwin brought in 83 receptions for 1,024 yards and two scores. They will be joined by Jalen McMillan. The third-round pick out of Washington was great last year leading the Huskies to the national title game.
Rachaad White will lead the running game for the Buccaneers this year. Last year he ran the ball 272 times for 990 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 549 yards receiving with three touchdowns. With Chase Edmonds gone, Bucky Irving will be the new backup running back. The Buccaneers used their fourth-round pick on the Oregon tailback.
On defense, the Buccaneers bring back a lot. Yaya Diaby comes back after leading the team in sacks last year. He has 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss last year. In front of him will be Vita Vea. Vea had 5.5 sacks last year while also having eight tackles for a loss. In the secondary, Antonie Winfield Jr. will lead the way. He had six sacks and six tackles for a loss last year. Further, he broke up 12 passes last year with three interceptions. Winfield also had six forced fumbles and recovered four fumbles last season.
Final Commanders-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick
The Commanders have changed a lot heading into this year. They have brought in a full new set of coaches while being led by Jayden Daniels. The Buccaneers should have a solid defense this year, but the Commanders should be improved on defense as well. Jayden Daniels will have a solid first start with Washington, as the Commanders cover.
Final Commanders-Buccaneers Prediction & Pick: Commanders +3.5 (-120)