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Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys NFL Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on November 25, 2009

The 3-7 Oakland Raiders take on the 7-3 Dallas Cowboys in a Week 12 non-conference clash on Thanksgiving Day. Last week, Oakland pulled off its second big upset of the season, defeating the AFC North leading Bengals 20-17 while the Cowboys needed a late touchdown strike to beat rival Washington 7-6. These two teams have not met since the 2005 season when Randy Moss and his 123 receiving yards helped the Raiders defeat the Cowboys 19-13. That win marked the third straight in the series for Oakland and it holds a 6-3 lead all-time. But NFL odds makers expect Dallas to end Oakland’s three-game winning streak, listing the Cowboys as 14-point favorites with the total set at 40.

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The Cowboys have been lacing ‘em up on Thanksgiving every year dating back to 1978, and they should be in good hands Thursday considering that starting quarterback Tony Romo has never lost a Thanksgiving start. But it may not be easy as Oakland is a perfect 3-0 all-time at Dallas. Romo has won 14 of his last 15 November starts, but we may not see him at 100 percent Thursday. He hurt his back in Sunday’s contest with the Redskins and that injury seemed to affect his throwing accuracy. No need to worry Cowboy fans as Romo is expected to go Thursday, but the Cowboys may look to lean more on their running game, and that may not be a bad thing. The Cowboys are averaging a ridiculous 5.6 yards per carry at home this season. The defense has played pretty well the last couple weeks, but the offense has only managed a total of 14 points. Dallas has won its last three Thanksgiving games by 25, 31, and 28 points, but the offense is going to have to play a whole lot better than it has lately to put a beating on Oakland. It is worth noting that the Cowboys are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games. If you like Dallas to run up the score on Oakland on Thanksgiving, bet the Cowboys at -14 at Bodog.

All I can say is it’s about time. After a couple benchings, Tom Cable finally got JaMarcus Russell out of there and went in a different direction. That direction was Bruce Gradkowski and it paid off big time. In his first start as a Raider, Gradkowski led the Silver and Black on a game-winning drive against a very good Cincinnati football team. We’ve seen how difficult it is to win in Dallas on Thanksgiving the last few years, but Gradkowski figures to give the Raiders their best chance to pull the upset.

I’m not sure this is the appropriate time to discuss the state of the Oakland franchise, but what the heck? The Raiders have two good wins this season and a lot of bad losses. It’s been a consistent struggle for this team for too long now and I’m going to put the fault largely on poor drafts. Russell looks to be a bust. Darren McFadden can’t stay healthy and has rarely wowed when healthy. Now wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is the latest questionable skill position player taken early. NFL analysts were pulling their hair out when Oakland made him the first wide receiver taken in the draft. Oakland loved his 4.3-speed, but he only has seven catches this season and has struggled with drops. I’ll give him a pass for now as I wouldn’t want to play wide receiver for the most inaccurate QB in football. Perhaps he can build some chemistry with Gradkowski and come up with a big play on Turkey Day. It is worth noting that the Cowboys are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite of 10.5 or more points. If you think Oakland can keep this one within the number, bet the Raiders at +14 at Bodog.

Jimmy Boyd finished 5-2 in Week 11 NFL action and has now nailed 10 of his last 15 pro football picks, including 5 of his last 6 NFL 5 Star Top Plays. Make sure you’re playing who Jimmy’s playing on Thanksgiving!

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