The Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots will face off in a battle of iconic NFL franchises. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Cowboys-Patriots prediction and pick.
The season started with the NFC East up for grabs, but the Cowboys quickly changed that. Dallas has proven themselves to be the best team in that division by a long shot. All they have to do is keep winning games against inferior opponents and they'll take a division title from the other three aggressively mediocre teams in the NFC East. The same can't be said about the Patriots, who need to turn things around quickly if they want any shot at a playoff berth. New England has shown that they can hang around with good teams, but their performance against the Houston Texans casts some doubt over how good they really are. A win against a quality team like Dallas could turn their season around.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Sunday's matchup.
NFL Odds: Cowboys-Patriots Odds
Dallas Cowboys -3 (-116)
New England Patriots +3 (-104)
Over 50 points (-113)
Under 50 points (-107
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Why The Cowboys Could Cover The Spread
Everyone expected this Dallas offense to be good as the season started, but no one expected them to be this good. Quarterback Dak Prescott is having a fantastic season, the receiving corps has been nearly unstoppable, and the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard has combined for a devastating ground attack. The Pats looked like they had trouble stopping Texans quarterback Davis Mills last week, which is great news for Dallas offense that produced over 500 yards of total offense and 44 points against the New York Giants last week. New England also has four important defensive players listed as questionable for this game, making life even easier for the Cowboys. This is why the Cowboys Patriots odds are what they are.
The Patriots have leaned on their running game for the last couple of seasons, but that shouldn't be much of an option in this game. The Cowboys have been surprisingly stout against opposing ground games, proven by the fact that they are yet to allow a 100-yard rusher. In fact, only two opposing running backs have topped the 50-yard marker against Dallas. This is a terrible matchup for a New England team that prefers to run the ball than pass it. The NFL odds reflect this.
Why The Patriots Could Cover The Spread
The home field advantage of Gillette Stadium can't be understated, and it should give the Patriots a needed boost here. It's a well-known fact the New England is a far better team when they play at home, and that has proven itself to be the case in this season too. The Pats managed to hang around with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Gillette Stadium despite the obvious talent difference between the two teams. If New England can hang with Tampa Bay, they can certainly hang with the Cowboys. Consider this in your Cowboys Patriots pick.
There are some encouraging numbers for the Patriots defense as they head into this game. First of all, New England may be the best overall defense that the Cowboys have faced this season. Every other team that Dallas has played has had a weakness in one area, but the Patriots are a solid overall team. Second of all, the last time that the Cowboys splayed a solid pass defense in the Carolina Panthers, they were held to 188 yards through the air. Third of all, the last time the Cowboys faced a good rushing defense in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers they were held to 60 yards on the ground. The Patriots are obviously worse than both of those teams, but they are still the best overall defense that Dallas has faced so far. This won't be an easy game for the Cowboys.
Final Cowboys-Patriots Prediction & Pick
This line is totally confusing. Dallas has been good enough to be a bigger favorite, even against the Patriots on the road. Dallas's offense should run this game while their defense does more than enough to get them a cover. Lock in the Cowboys as one of the best picks of the week.
FINAL PICK: Dallas Cowboys -3 (-116)
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