Our Buccaneers vs Cowboys preview covers the latest odds, point spread, moneyline, total, kickoff time, TV channel and where to watch for the NFL Week 5 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) and the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Kickoff is 8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PT), and the game airs on Prime Video.
Week 5 storyline: Thursday Night Football opens Week 5 with the winless Buccaneers visiting Arlington on a short week. Tampa Bay turns again to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield sidelined by a dislocated thumb, while Dallas comes off a 34-30 comeback win in Houston that CeeDee Lamb capped with a 12-yard touchdown catch with 40 seconds left (ESPN, AP).
As of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, 2:18 AM PT (5:18 AM ET), DraftKings via ESPN lists the Cowboys as 9.5-point favorites over the Buccaneers, with the moneyline at Buccaneers +360 / Cowboys -470 and the over/under at 47.5. Since the open, the spread has moved from DAL -3.5 to DAL -9.5 and the total has moved from 52.5 to 47.5. Below are the full Buccaneers vs Cowboys odds, both team previews, the latest Week 5 injury news and TV details.
Buccaneers vs Cowboys Odds & Preview Info
| Matchup detail | Line / info |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys |
| Records | Buccaneers 0-4 (0-1 road) · Cowboys 2-2 (1-1 home) |
| Spread | Buccaneers +9.5 (-115) · Cowboys -9.5 (-105) |
| Moneyline | Buccaneers +360 · Cowboys -470 |
| Total | 47.5 (Over -110 / Under -110) |
| Venue | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX |
| Date/Time | Thursday, October 8, 2026 · 8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PT) |
| TV | Prime Video |
| Head Coaches | Buccaneers: Todd Bowles · Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer |
| Starting QBs | Buccaneers: Jalon Daniels (Baker Mayfield out, dislocated right thumb) · Cowboys: Dak Prescott |
Odds: DraftKings via ESPN as of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, 2:18 AM PT (5:18 AM ET). Opening line: DAL -3.5, total 52.5, moneyline Buccaneers +170 / Cowboys -205. Line movement: the spread has moved from DAL -3.5 to DAL -9.5, the total has moved from 52.5 to 47.5, and the moneyline has gone from Buccaneers +170 / Cowboys -205 at the open to Buccaneers +360 / Cowboys -470. Spread and total prices are shown in parentheses. Lines can move before kickoff.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
2026 results through Week 4: Week 1: at Bengals, L 27-33 · Week 2: vs Browns, L 19-23 · Week 3: vs Vikings, L 16-23 · Week 4: vs Packers, L 14-17. Points: 76 scored, 96 allowed.
Season so far: Tampa Bay’s four losses have come by a combined 20 points. The Buccaneers lost 33-27 at Cincinnati after committing four turnovers, fell 23-19 at home to Cleveland, lost 23-16 to Minnesota in the game where Mayfield dislocated his thumb, and dropped a 17-14 decision to Green Bay last Sunday (AP).
Quarterback and key players: Daniels went 19 of 27 for 148 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against Green Bay and added 55 rushing yards on eight carries (ESPN). Mayfield still leads the team with 615 passing yards. Bucky Irving has 241 rushing yards, Cade Otton leads the team with 15 catches for 157 yards, David Walker has two sacks and LB Josiah Trotter leads the defense with 34 tackles.
This week: Sources told ESPN that Mayfield’s return hinges on when he can grip a football, with a window of three to six weeks. All-Pro S Antoine Winfield Jr. has a slight rib fracture and is out two to four weeks, Todd Bowles said Monday. Trotter (knee) was limited in Monday’s estimated practice, and LB SirVocea Dennis had an MRI on his ankle (ESPN, team site).
Dallas Cowboys Preview
2026 results through Week 4: Week 1: at Giants, L 20-28 · Week 2: vs Commanders, W 37-20 · Week 3: vs Ravens (Rio De Janeiro), L 31-34 · Week 4: at Texans, W 34-30. Points: 122 scored, 112 allowed.
Season so far: Dallas opened with a 28-20 loss at the Giants, then beat Washington 37-20 as Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes and passed Tony Romo for the franchise record. The Cowboys lost 34-31 to Baltimore in Rio de Janeiro on a 56-yard field goal at the end, then rallied past Houston last week (AP, ESPN).
Quarterback and key players: Prescott has completed 105 of 150 passes for 1,065 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception (ESPN). Lamb has 37 catches for 498 yards and four scores, including 17 catches for 189 yards in Houston. Javonte Williams has 231 rushing yards and five touchdowns, three of them last week, and S Caleb Downs leads the team with 29 tackles.
This week: Pro Bowl G Tyler Smith, on injured reserve after thumb surgery, hopes to make his season debut Thursday and was limited in Monday’s estimated practice. CB Joey Porter Jr., acquired from Pittsburgh last week, joins a secondary that will be without CB Cobie Durant (hamstring), and LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) did not practice Monday (ESPN, The Athletic, team site).
Buccaneers vs Cowboys Key Injuries
Source: ESPN’s injury tracker as of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, 2:18 AM PT (5:18 AM ET), with team-site, ESPN and NFL Network reporting for context. These are tracker statuses after Week 4, not official game designations: official Week 5 reports for this game run Monday through Wednesday, with game designations on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Some players listed questionable left Week 4 games and have not been updated yet.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Out: S Antoine Winfield Jr. (ribs fracture); CB Benjamin Morrison (quadriceps); TE Ko Kieft (elbow); QB Baker Mayfield (thumb dislocation) · Doubtful: none · Questionable: LB SirVocea Dennis (ankle); LB Josiah Trotter (knee) · Recent injured reserve moves (ESPN): none since Sept. 22.
Dallas Cowboys — Out: LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring strain); CB Cobie Durant (hamstring strain) · Doubtful: none · Questionable: OT Drew Shelton (hamstring) · Recent injured reserve moves (ESPN): G Tyler Smith (thumb surgery); DT Jonathan Bullard (calf); S Jalen Thompson (hamstring).
QB note: Mayfield is out, and Daniels is the only other quarterback on Tampa Bay’s ESPN depth chart. Because this is a Thursday game, Wednesday’s report carries the official game designations.
Buccaneers vs Cowboys Key Matchup Notes
- Short week: Both teams played Sunday, so this is a three-day turnaround. Tampa Bay travels after a home loss; Dallas stays home after its trip to Houston.
- Daniels vs the Dallas defense: Tampa Bay has scored 76 points in four games, and Dallas has allowed 112. Daniels ran for 55 yards in his start against Green Bay.
- Lamb vs the Tampa Bay secondary: Lamb had 17 catches in Houston. The Buccaneers will be without Winfield and CB Benjamin Morrison (quadriceps).
- Turnovers: Daniels threw two interceptions against Green Bay, while Prescott has one interception on 150 attempts this season.
- Market snapshot: DraftKings opened DAL -3.5 with a 52.5 total and now shows DAL -9.5 and 47.5 (DraftKings via ESPN, as of 2:18 AM PT Tuesday).
Kickoff, Venue & How to Watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys
- Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
- Kickoff: 8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PT)
- Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
- TV / Streaming: Prime Video (Thursday Night Football, streamed nationally). Over-the-air TV stations in the two teams’ home markets also carry the game, and NFL+ streams it on phones and tablets
Where to watch: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Dallas Cowboys game airs on Prime Video at 8:15 PM ET. Final inactives are released about 90 minutes before kickoff.
This preview is for informational purposes only. It reports odds, injury designations and broadcast details from DraftKings via ESPN, NFL.com, team sites, ESPN and AP, and it is not gambling advice. Odds, injury statuses and inactives can change before kickoff, so confirm with official sources. If you gamble, do so legally and responsibly; help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER. Information current as of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, 2:18 AM PT (5:18 AM ET) for the Buccaneers vs Cowboys game on October 8, 2026.