Washington Football Team (3-7 5-5 ATS) at Dallas Cowboys (3-7 2-8 ATS)
Both Washington and Dallas are coming off rare wins and they face each other for the second time this season on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys are a 3-point favorite in this NFC East matchup with the total sitting at 48.
The public has backed America’s Team in this game, so far, as they opened as a 1.5-point favorite and as of Monday are a 3-point favorite.
Washington beat the two-win Cincinnati Bengals in their last game 20-9 after losing two in a row. They played solid D in the win over Cincy and knocked out QB Joe Burrow for the season.
Dallas’ last game was more impressive than Washington’s in the fact they beat a Minnesota Vikings team that came into the game on a three-game win streak. The win by Dallas snapped their three-game skid and Andy Dalton is back under center after missing time with an injury.
All four teams in the weak, understatement, NFC East have three wins, so as crazy at it sounds with two 3-7 teams facing off this game has playoff implications.
A few weeks ago in the Nation’s Capital Washington beat Dallas 25-3 where the Cowboys were held to only 142 yards.
The Football Team has had issues on offense, 29th in the league in ppg, but their D has been legit on the season and they have the top-ranked pass defense.
Dallas ranks dead last in the NFL giving up 31.8 ppg and while they beat the Vikings 31-28 in their last game they were outgained 430 yards to 376 yards.
D Takes Over in the Second Half
In their win over the Bengals, the Washington defense shut out Cincy in the second half.
Alex Smith passed for 166 yards with a TD and an INT in the win over the Bengals and Antonio Gibson gave the team a spark rushing for 94 yards averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Gibson was one of the main reasons Washington crushed Dallas a few weeks back rushing for a season-high 128 yards. Smith did not play in the game and has two TD and four INT on the season.
Dallas’ run D did give up 125 rushing yards against Dalvin Cook and the Vikings and on the season they are giving up an average of 153.8 rushing yards per game. Look for Washington to pound the rock on the ground and if they can be successful doing it they may be looking at their first two-game win streak of the season.
Zeke Shows Up
Dallas got a huge win in their last game on a late scoring drive and Ezekiel Elliot rushed for over 100 yards (103 yards) for the first time this season. In the loss to Washington this season he only rushed for 45 yards averaging 3.8 yards per carry.
Dalton passed for 203 yards with three TD and a pick in the Minnesota win and Amari Cooper had 81 receiving yards. Dalton was knocked out of the Washington game this season after going 9/19 for 75 yards and was sacked three times.
The Cowboys’ offensive line has been banged up this season but only gave up one sack in the Vikings game. They will be under pressure in this game facing a Washington pass rush that has 32 sacks on the season and had four sacks in the win over the Bengals.
Prediction
Washington covered in the win over Cincy after failing to do so in two straight games. The Cowboys failed to cover the spread in their first eight games but have done so in their last two games.
I hate to say it as a Washington fan, but I think the Cowboys are poised for a run. They beat a good Vikings team in their last game and at home and on Thanksgiving will keep their run going beating Washington and covering the spread.
PICK: Cowboys -2.5