Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings Odds

Few expected the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, teams considered among the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, to be 1-3 heading into Week 6. But that’s the reality, and it’s going to get even worse for one of these teams Sunday. NFL odds makers believe Dallas will be the team that is dealt another blow, listing the Cowboys as a 1.5-point underdog with the total set at 44.

The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven against Minnesota, which includes a 34-3 loss at Minnesota in last season’s playoffs.

Dallas, which has responded well following bye weeks in the past, was not able to do so last week. The Cowboys were hoping they could use their bye to clean some things up, but not much was accomplished when you consider they committed 12 penalties and three turnovers in a 34-27 home loss to Tennessee.

Penalties and turnovers have been the downfall of the Cowboys all season. Despite boasting the NFC’s best offense (421.5 yards per game) and fourth-best defense (304.8 yards per game), the Cowboys have been outdone by 9.5 penalties per game and a minus-4 turnover margin.

Offensively, running the football gives the Cowboys the best chance to win. When quarterback Tony Romo attempts more than 35 passes in a game (he had 46 attempts last week), Dallas is just 8-13. When he is under that mark, the Cowboys are 31-7 in his starts.

Considering the way the Jets were able to run the football on Minnesota last week, Felix Jones and Marion Barber may be able to find some running room Sunday.

The Vikings may have picked up wide receiver Randy Moss just in time. The four-time All-Pro receiver has averaged more than 100 yards receiving and scored 11 touchdowns in seven career games against Dallas. It is also worth mentioning that Moss was on the winning side of all seven of those games.

If Moss is going to have a big game Sunday, he’ll need future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre to start playing like he did last season.

Favre torched Dallas for 234 yards and four touchdowns in last season’s playoff win, but Favre is yet to play at that high of a level this season. In fact, he has thrown seven interceptions and lost three fumbles through the first four games. Favre only threw seven picks all of last season.

Nothing has gone as smoothly for Favre this year. He is dealing with allegations that he sent inappropriate photos and messages to a New York Jets hostess. On top of that, he is battling some severe elbow tendinitis.

Favre did discover some magic in the second half of last week’s game against the Jets, throwing three second-half touchdown strikes, but the comeback attempt ultimately failed when he threw a pick-six down the stretch.

For as great as Favre has been throughout his career, costly interceptions have defined it lately. Packers fans certainly can’t forget the one he threw in overtime of the NFC title game in his final season in Green Bay.

Vikings fans now have last season’s costly interception late in the NFC title game imprinted in their minds.

The numbers are in Favre’s favor Sunday as the Cowboys are 0-5 against the spread in their last five meetings in Minnesota.