NFL Betting 13: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints Betting Preview

The Dallas Cowboys have lost two in a row and three of four as they head to New Orleans to take on the Saints in the second consecutive Thursday game for both teams. The Saints got drubbed on Thanksgiving Night by the Buffalo Bills, 31-6, after going in as one-touchdown underdogs. The Cowboys were seven-point favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders in their Thanksgiving tilt but lost, 36-33, in overtime. The Saints are changing quarterbacks for this game, switching from Trevor Siemian to Taysom Hill, and the Cowboys could have both wide receivers CeeDee Lamb (concussion) and Amari Cooper (COVID-19) back, but they will be missing several other key players as well as head coach Mike McCarthy.

Don’t miss our NFL betting preview of this midweek NFC showdown.

NFL Preview: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints (Thursday, December 2)

When: Thursday, December 2, 2021, 8:20 pm ET
Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
TV: FOX / NFL Network
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Prime Video
NFL Odds: Dallas -4.5 / O/U 47.5 // Dallas -210 / New Orleans +175

Why should you bet on the Cowboys?

The Cowboys average 29.6 points per game, but their production has slowed down over the last month, starting with their shocking home loss to Denver. The offense picked up late against the Raiders, but it could not overcome shoddy defensive play — and a bunch of penalties on the defense, with several cripping pass interference calls and two neutral zone infractions on the Raiders’ game-winning drive in overtime.

Against the Raiders, Dak Prescott went 32 of 47 for 375 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Gallup returned to the lineup and had a big night, catching five passes for 106 yards. Tony Pollard led the team in rushing but needed ten carries to pick up 36 yards. The Dallas defense does well when it can get takeaways, but the last month has shown that they really don’t have an answer for a committed running game, and all season long they have been susceptible to the long (20+ yard) play. They made the Raiders’ passing attack, which had wilted in the past two months, look all-world by insisting on staying in man coverage despite the fact that they were getting torched. If you like Dallas, you think their defense can pry turnovers away from Hill’s offense.

Why should you put your money on the Saints?

The Saints won the game in which Jameis Winston went down with an ACL tear, but they have lost all four games since then. They need this win to stay in the hunt for a wild card in the NFC. The passing game has been a little conservative, averaging just 198.2 yards per game. Trevor Siemian went 17 of 29 for 163 yards with a score and a pick in the loss to Buffalo. Tony Jones Jr was the leading running back for an attack that got shut down, as he picked up just 27 yards on 16 carries. Lil’Jordan Humphrey caught three passes for 47 yards.

The Saints’ defense has been the better unit this season, especially after the loss of Winston. However, that defense got rolled by Buffalo for 31 points. Dallas has the talent and the speed to put up elite offensive numbers; with Ezekiel Elliott somewhat limited by a knee injury, the hope is that the team will feature Tony Pollard more heavily. If you like the Saints, you see the Cowboys continuing to make mistakes on defense and with penalties — and failing to get takeaways.

Final Score and Betting Prediction

Dallas’ collective response, from ownership to player, to the loss to Las Vegas was striking; instead of taking accountability, the entire organization whined about the officiating in a game that did feature a lot of penalties (28), but the officials called each team for 14 of them. That sort of petulance has long been a part of the Cowboys’ culture under the ownership of Jerry Jones and has a lot to do with the historically poor leadership the team has shown under his watch. I see Sean Payton coming up with the right defensive play and coming up with enough surprises to stay close, and perhaps even win. I predict a final score of New Orleans 27, Dallas 23.

Tampa : Bet the Game Today

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