With a win on their annual Thanksgiving day game, the Dallas Cowboys will be in sole possession of first place in the trash heap that is the NFC East. If there’s anything to be thankful for in this brutal football season, it’s that their division is devoid of quarterback talent. Because of that, and despite a 3-7 record, this is a team with something to play for.
The Cowboys remain the worst team in the league in terms of covering the spread however, doing it just twice through the first ten games. However, they have covered the last two and are looking to extend that streak to three. They enter Thursday’s matchup with the Washington Football as three-point favorites according to BETMGM.
There’s a couple things playing in the home team’s favor: the first is playing at home on an incredibly short week, the second is revenge. The last time these teams met the Cowboys were in the midst of a serious funk. Andy Dalton, starting just his second game in Dallas, was taken out of action with a dirty hit. There was nary a peep from his teammates.
Part of the issue was the lack of enforcers left on the offense. The offensive line was completely missing any semblance of veteran leadership. There was no La’el Collins, Tyron Smith or Zack Martin. The latter has been back in the lineup and is the key to the Cowboys hopes going forward. His move to right tackle has removed the weakest link in Terence Steele and provided a jolt to the group’s play.
With even decent line play, the Dallas weapons remain as terrifying as any in the league, so with that in mind…
The verdict: The Cowboys cover the spread and the over (45.5) comes through.
On the season: 4-6 against the spread, 6-4 over/under