The holiday festivities are set to kick off in Dallas with the only way Texas knows: football. The Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills will face off in a game that means more for the home team than the visitors.
In a season of just 16 games, an NFL team’s record is one of the worst ways to judge superiority. One group that subscribes to this theory is the odds-makers. Buffalo enters the game with an 8-3 record, while the Cowboys are 6-5, but that isn’t reflected in the line, which favors Dallas by 6.5 points.
These are two of the best teams against the spread this season. The Bills are 7-3-1 against the spread while Dallas is 7-4. There isn’t much to be gleaned here except delight for the gamblers who have backed these teams on a weekly basis throughout the year.
The Cowboys, at least in the Dak Prescott era, are 8-0 at home in which they were favored by at least six points, one of which was last year’s Thanksgiving game against the Washington Redskins. Against the spread they sport a 6-1-1 record, an indication of a team that’s handled their business against lesser foes.
Buffalo, on the other hand, has found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum. This is the first time they’ve been road dogs by at least six points on the season but found themselves in that position seven times last year. Ruling out double-digit point spreads, the Bills have gone 1-4 straight up and against the spread in their last five games under this criteria.
The pressure is on in Dallas.
Owner Jerry Jones has voiced his displeasure and frustration at the results he’s seen over the course of the year. The Cowboys under head coach Jason Garrett have largely responded well to this scenario in his tenure, and will do so again on Thursday.
The Verdict: Cowboys cover -6.5 and the UNDER (47) hits.
On the Year: 8-3 ATS, 7-4 over/under
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