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December has arrived, and with it a chance for the Dallas Cowboys to make a run and again become the threat they were three weeks into the season. The first stop is at Soldier Field on Thursday night where they, as three-point favorites, will face a Chicago Bears team that’s experienced similar disappointment throughout the 2019 NFL season.
Despite Chicago’s underwhelming performance, they’ve found themselves as underdogs just three times, winning one of the contests outright but failing to cover the spread two others. The Bears are, in fact, the single worst team to rely on in betting this season, going just 3-9 against the spread.
Dallas, on the other hand, has been successful against the spread this year, going 7-5 across all of their games. As road favorites, the Cowboys are 3-2, with a two-point loss against the New Orleans Saints (-2.5) and the shocking 24-22 defeat at the hands of the New York Jets (-7).
The concern on Thursday night is Chicago’s tough defense and sound special teams, two areas that have marred the Dallas season to date. According to DVOA, the four best defenses that the Cowboys have faced are the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the Saints and the Jets, all ranking in the top 10 in that metric, all losses.
Quarterback Dak Prescott and his squad have managed to score an average of 14 points across those games. Add another top 10 defense to the list with a twist of a night game in blustery December Chicago.
If weather is a concern, know that Prescott has played in just five meaningful games with temperatures at or below the 42 degree forecast in Chicago Thursday night. The Cowboys are 3-2 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in those scenarios. His quarterback rating in those games is 93.89, which is under his career average but not in anyway that would seem significant enough for concern.
The Verdict: The Cowboys stave off a week of Jason Garrett getting fired chatter while covering the spread (-3). The lowly UNDER of 37 comes through.
On the year: 8-4 ATS, 8-4 over/under.
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Week 14 Cowboys potential head coach Power Rankings: Who does Jerry Jones want?
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Continue reading...
Despite Chicago’s underwhelming performance, they’ve found themselves as underdogs just three times, winning one of the contests outright but failing to cover the spread two others. The Bears are, in fact, the single worst team to rely on in betting this season, going just 3-9 against the spread.
Dallas, on the other hand, has been successful against the spread this year, going 7-5 across all of their games. As road favorites, the Cowboys are 3-2, with a two-point loss against the New Orleans Saints (-2.5) and the shocking 24-22 defeat at the hands of the New York Jets (-7).
The concern on Thursday night is Chicago’s tough defense and sound special teams, two areas that have marred the Dallas season to date. According to DVOA, the four best defenses that the Cowboys have faced are the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the Saints and the Jets, all ranking in the top 10 in that metric, all losses.
Quarterback Dak Prescott and his squad have managed to score an average of 14 points across those games. Add another top 10 defense to the list with a twist of a night game in blustery December Chicago.
If weather is a concern, know that Prescott has played in just five meaningful games with temperatures at or below the 42 degree forecast in Chicago Thursday night. The Cowboys are 3-2 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in those scenarios. His quarterback rating in those games is 93.89, which is under his career average but not in anyway that would seem significant enough for concern.
The Verdict: The Cowboys stave off a week of Jason Garrett getting fired chatter while covering the spread (-3). The lowly UNDER of 37 comes through.
On the year: 8-4 ATS, 8-4 over/under.
Gallery
Week 14 Cowboys potential head coach Power Rankings: Who does Jerry Jones want?
view 32 imagesContinue reading...