TheNew Orleans Saintswill rely on home-field advantage and look for chunk plays against an untested defense when they host theDallas Cowboyson Sunday Night Football. New Orleans is without iconic quarterbackDrew Brees(thumb), but versatile running backAlvin Kamarawill take the pressure off. The Saints are coming off a groundbreaking 33-27 win against previously unbeaten Seattle, while Dallas beat the strugglingDolphins31-6 last week. Kickoff is scheduled for 8: 20 p.m. ET. The Cowboys are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Cowboys vs. Saints odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 47.5, up a point-and-a-half from where the line opened. You’ll want to see the latestNFLpredictions from SportsLine’s resident NFL guru, Emory Hunt, before entering any Cowboys vs. Saints picks of your own.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player’s perspective.
In addition, Hunt has his pulse on the Cowboys. He is 21-9 all-time on against the spread picks involving Dallas, including a perfect 3-0 record this year. Anyone who has followed up is way up.
Now, he has analyzed Saints vs. Cowboys from every possible angle and locked in another confident against the spread pick. It’s available only at SportsLine.
Hunt knows Dallas has been a balanced team offensively. The Cowboys are averaging 179.0 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL. They also are passing for 302.3 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the league. They’re the only team that ranks in the top five in both categories.
Hunt also has taken into account that Dallas’ defense has a strong matchup against a New Orleans offense without Brees. The Cowboys are allowing just 14.7 points a game, the fourth best mark in the NFL. They’ll be facing a Saints offense that has scored just three touchdowns on 15 drives since sinceTeddy Bridgewaterreplaced Brees early in the second game of the season. Dallas also has a plus-17.7 point differential this season, compared to minus-3.3 for the Saints.
But just because Dallas appears to have the edge on paper does not guarantee it will cover the Saints vs. Cowboys spread on Sunday Night Football.
Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater takes the helm in Brees’ absence, and he is 18-12 as an NFL quarterback. He threw for 117 yards and two touchdowns in his first fill-in start last week. He should have time to find targets, as Dallas ranks 30th in the NFL with just five sacks and is one of five teams that has not recorded an interception this season. His top target is wide receiverMichael Thomas, who is third in the league with 25 catches and scored his first TD last week.
The Saints should give plenty of work to Kamara, who touched the ball on 25 of the team’s 58 offensive plays last week and totaled 158 yards, with nine receptions and a TD. Dallas has allowed only 44 total points, but its three victories have come against teams that are a combined 1-8 (Redskins,Giants, Dolphins). Plus, the underdog is 8-2 against the spread in the past 10 meetings between the teams.
While its pass defense has struggled, New Orleans has had no trouble getting to the passer, posting nine sacks. Defensive endTrey Hendricksonhas three of those sacks and a forced fumble.
We can tell you Hunt is leaning over, but his much stronger play is on the spread. He’s found a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread hit hard on Sunday. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Cowboys vs. Saints on Sunday Night Football? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cowboys vs. Saints spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the NFL expert who is 21-9 all-time on picks involving Dallas.
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