New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys Odds
Since losing five in a row straight up and against the spread, the Dallas Cowboys are 2-0 straight up and against the number the last two weeks. They followed up their shocking 33-20 upset win over division rival New York with a 35-19 victory over Detroit. That game was close throughout until Dallas pulled away with 14 unanswered points in the fourth.
One has to wonder what interim head coach Jason Garrett is feeding these guys with the way they have played the last two weeks. Garrett became just the third interim head coach since 2000 to win his first two games, joining Detroit’s Gary Moeller and St. Louis’ Jim Haslett. If Garrett can lead Dallas past the defending Super Bowl champs on Thanksgiving, owner Jerry Jones may drop the interim from his job title.
Defeating New Orleans will be no easy task. The Saints have won 3 in a row by double digits. Last week against Seattle, they exploded for 20 points in the second quarter on their way to a 34-19 win.
New Orleans has had Dallas’ number. Dating back to 1994, the Saints have won five of seven straight up and six of seven against the spread in the series. During this span, the Saints are a perfect 2-0 straight up and against the spread in games played at Dallas. But, the Cowboys won the most recent meeting.
Dallas marched into New Orleans last December as a 7-point underdog and handed the Saints their first loss of the season.
NFL odds makers have listed the Cowboys as a 3-point underdog with the total set at 50 for this season’s matchup.
New Orleans boasts one of the best defenses in the NFL. It ranks fourth in total defense (291.7 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (17.0 points per game). The Saints have been particularly good against the pass, ranking second in the league with only 186.3 passing yards per game allowed.
Because of how strong the New Orleans’ pass defense is, running the football has given teams the best chance to beat the Saints. In losses to Atlanta and Cleveland, the Saints gave up 202 and 125 rushing yards respectively.
Dallas has shown a commitment to the run in its back-to-back wins, going over the century mark in both games. You might also recall that the Dallas running game played a big part in last year’s upset win over New Orleans. In that game Dallas ran the ball 36 times for 145 yards.
It is worth noting that Dallas is 6-0 against the spread versus NFC South division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
The Dallas defense, which only allowed 15.6 points per game in 2009 (2nd in the NFL), has been a major disappointment this season. The Cowboys currently rank 28th in the league in scoring defense, giving up 27.1 points per game.
The Cowboys must step it up on the defensive side of the football if they are going to pull off the upset. That may be easier said than done.
New Orleans has scored 34 points in each of its last two games and it ranks fifth in the league it total offense (382.3 yards per game). The Saints have especially been potent threw the air. Led by quarterback Drew Brees, they are averaging 286.8 passing yards a game (4th in the NFL).
Wide receiver Marques Colston leads the Saints with 62 grabs for 705 yards. He caught eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win.
It is worth noting that New Orleans is 11-3 against the spread in its last 14 games as a road favorite of seven points or less.
Last Thanksgiving, Jimmy Boyd made calls on two games and he delivered a 2-0 Sweep (Cowboys, Broncos). Make sure you’re playing who he’s playing for another winning Turkey Day.
