Resilient Cowboys Host Surging Saints
The leaders of the NFC South and NFC East clash this Thursday, with Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys welcoming Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints to town. Tonight’s contest will kick off Week 13 NFL action. Each game become more and more important as the playoffs inch closer. TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network. LINE: Saints -7 O/U: 51.5. Thanksgiving Thursday was a big day for both of these clubs. With a win over the Washington Redskins that resulted in Dallas overtaking the NFC East, they’ll be riding high against the league’s top team this Thursday. Drew Brees is an early favorite for NFL Most Valuable Player this season. The 39-year-old isn’t slowing down. The veteran leads all starting QB’s with a 127.3 QB rating. He has guided his offense to a league-best 37.2 points per game clip through 12 weeks. Following the Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, New Orleans owns a 10-1 record and a stranglehold on the NFL South. The Saints are on the verge of clinching the NFC South. They’ve covered nine straight games after getting off to a slow start against the spread. Nobody has been better poised to take advantage of the league’s new offense-friendly rules. New Orleans has one of the very best attacks in the NFL. The Saints have a league low-tying nine turnovers, one fewer than the Cowboys.One thing the Saints’ defense can do well is stuff the run.
That’s bad news for the Cowboys, who rely heavily on RB Ezekiel Elliott. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry since his return. He runs behind an offensive line that’s been compromised by multiple injuries. Dallas hope to have LT Tyron Taylor back in action this week after he sat out Thanksgiving Day with neck and elbow issues. Dallas is in the midst of resurrecting their season. Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper look to exploit New Orleans’ 30th-ranked pass defense after the pair hooked up for two long touchdown passes against the Redskins. Prescott has a rushing score in each of his last three games. Cooper joined Kansas City speedster Tyreek Hill in by having his second 180-yard, two-touchdown performance in the last two seasons with his sterling effort versus Washington. DE Demarcus Lawrence has three of his team-leading 8.5 sacks in the last four games. PREDICTION: Saints 34, Cowboys 14
NFL Betting Odds & Trends
| New Orleans Saints | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road | ||
| New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games | ||
| New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games | ||
| New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road | ||
| New Orleans is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Dallas | ||
| New Orleans is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Dallas | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games when playing Dallas | ||
| New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas | ||
Dallas Cowboys |
||
|---|---|---|
| Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games | ||
| Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Dallas’s last 20 games | ||
| Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 5 games at home | ||
| Dallas is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing New Orleans | ||
| Dallas is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing New Orleans | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 5 games when playing New Orleans | ||
| Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’s last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans | ||