Arizona Cardinals (6-1, 5-2 ATS) @ Dallas Cowboys (6-2, 5-3 ATS)
*ATS= against the spread
BETDAQ Line: Dallas -2.5 (44.5)
Significant Injuries
Arizona: LB Glenn Carson (questionable– ankle), TE Troy Niklas (questionable– ankle), RB Stepfan Taylor (out– calf), LB Matt Shaughnessy (out– knee)
Dallas: QB Tony Romo (questionable– back), G Ronald Leary (questionable– groin), DT Amobi Okoye (questionable– illness), DT Davon Coleman (questionable– calf), OT Doug Free (questionable– foot), LB Justin Durant (out– bicep), CB Morris Claiborne (out– knee)
Recent Trends
Arizona is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following a win
Arizona is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games
Arizona is 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a winning record
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. NFC opponents
Dallas is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning record
The home team is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings between these 2 teams
The UNDER is 4-1 in Arizona’s last 5 games following a win
The UNDER is 7-2 in Arizona’s last 9 games vs. NFC opponents
The OVER is 4-1 in Dallas’ last 5 games vs. NFC opponents
Three reasons to back Arizona
1. This is the 4th time that the Cardinals have been underdogs this season but they just keep on winning, and at 6-1 they’ve clearly established themselves as one of the NFC’s best teams. They’ve had some good luck on the injury front recently, too, as backup running back Stepfan Taylor is the only player who has been definitively ruled out this week. Dallas, on the other hand, is dealing with a serious injury (broken back) to starting quarterback Tony Romo that will either keep Romo sidelined or limit his effectiveness.
2. With Romo gimpy, Dallas will look to rely on their league-leading rushing attack. Unfortunately for them, the Arizona defense excels at defending the run, surrendering fewer than 80 yards per game on the ground. The Cowboys are in for a long, long day if they plan on attacking the heart of the Cardinals’ defense– their stout front seven.
3. The Cardinals are one of the NFL’s best road teams, covering in 6 of their last 7 opportunities, and this week the Carson Palmer-led offense will be facing a vulnerable Dallas defense that is surrendering over 350 total yards per game. The Arizona offense has been rolling since Palmer returned to the lineup, producing 78 combined points in their last three games.
Three reasons to back Dallas
1. The Cowboys have been excellent on both sides of the ball this season, ranking in the top-10 in both points scored and points allowed. They also tend to rise to the occasion whenever they play good teams, covering in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with winning records. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have covered just 3 times in their last 11 road games against winning teams.
2. The Dallas offense has been nearly unstoppable this season, ranking 4th in total yards per game and 1st in rush yards per game. They also have plenty of weaponry in the passing game, of course, and this week they face an Arizona defense that has allowed more passing yards than any team in the NFL. The Cardinals simply don’t have an answer for the likes of Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Jason Witten.
3. The Cowboys are much-improved on defense this year, ranking in the top-half of the league in both yards allowed and points allowed. They should have plenty of success against the 24th-ranked Arizona offense, a unit that has topped 25 points just once all season.
Prediction
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