Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints NFL Week 15 Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd on December 15, 2009

The 8-5 Dallas Cowboys try to snap out of their December funk Saturday night when they take on the 13-0 New Orleans Saints in a Week 15 NFC showdown. Last week, the Saints were able to hold off the Falcons to preserve a 26-23 win thanks to a pair of really good defensive plays by Jonathan Vilma. Meanwhile, the Cowboys only came away with one field goal on three first half possessions deep in San Diego territory to cost them a 20-17 defeat. These teams last met in the 2006 season with the Saints crushing the Boys 42-17 behind a big five-touchdown day from Drew Brees. The win was the fifth straight in the series for New Orleans, but it still trails 14-8 in the all-time tilt. NFL odds makers expect New Orleans to continue its unbeaten season, listing the Saints as a 7-point favorite with the total set at 53.5.

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This game is a big one for the Cowboys. The talk is already starting to heat up about Dallas’ annual late-season collapse. A win over the undefeated Saints would go a long way toward hushing up that talk, and it would also do a ton for the confidence of this team. Tony Romo leads the NFL’s No. 2 ranked offense, but the Cowboys are faced with the challenge of defeating the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense this week. While Romo has been playing extremely well with 7 touchdown passes and zero interceptions over his last three games, the Cowboys are just 1-2 in those contests. A big reason why they have lost back-to-back games is because the running game isn’t what it was earlier in the season. Perhaps, they’ll be able to get the running attack going against a New Orleans defense allowing 4.5 yards per rush this season.

On the defensive side of the football, Dallas’ chances could lie with whether Demarcus Ware, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, can go. Ware was carted off the field on a stretcher against the Chargers after sustaining a neck injury and is questionable for Saturday night’s contest. It is worth noting that the underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 head-to-head meetings in this series. If you like this trend to continue, bet the Cowboys at +7 at Bodog.

Is this the week New Orleans finally runs out of lives? The Saints got another scare from division rival Atlanta in Week 14, but they were able to find a way to win yet again. Now they get a Dallas team in an extremely motivated spot. I already mentioned that Dallas needs to be able to run the football, and I think the same thing holds true for the Saints. The Saints boast the NFC’s second best running attack, gobbling up 138.9 yards per game on the ground this season. However, they have been held to an average of 75 yards rushing the last two weeks and got two major scares as a result. The Saints are clearly at their best when they bring a balanced offensive attack. If they can find a way to move the chains on the ground against a stingy Dallas run defense allowing just 100 yards per game on 4.0 yards per carry, one has to think the Saints will get the job done.

Another key to victory could lie in intercepting Tony Romo. Romo has played near-perfect football the last three weeks, throwing seven touchdown strikes and no interceptions to keep the Cowboys in games. But New Orleans leads the NFC with 24 picks in 2009. Getting one against Romo will likely go a long way toward a 14th straight win. It is worth noting that the Saints are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0 points. If you like New Orleans to remain unbeaten and to cover the number in the process, bet the Saints at -7 at Bodog.

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