NFL Week 2 Picks: Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 9/16/12, 4:05 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Dallas -3
Current Betting Line: Dallas -3
Opening Total: 42
Current Total: 42.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware is a player to watch in Seattle Sunday

Dallas is focused on opening a season with two straight victories for the first time in four seasons, coming off a 24-17 win over the New York Giants as 3.5-point road underdogs. “We have a chance to have good things happen every week,” stated Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. America’s Team has won nine of 13 meetings in the series, including a 23-13 win as 11-point home favorites in November of last year. Dallas is 4-15 ATS as a favorite the last two-plus seasons, with the “over” going 11-9 in that situation.

The Cowboys will try to establish the running game in the Pacific Northwest, with DeMarco Murray finishing with 131 yards on 20 carries against the Giants last week. Dallas has the ability to be one of the more balanced offenses in the league, with wide an array of weapons for quarterback Tony Romo to target. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will be game planning against a rookie quarterback, who has the ability to extend plays with his legs.

Seattle came up short in a 20-16 setback as three-point road favorites against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, as former Wisconsin Badgers star Russell Wilson got his first taste of an NFL regular season. “I wouldn’t say it was any faster,” he commented after the game. The Seahawks have the chance to bounce back, winning eight of their last nine home openers, as they went 4-4 inside Century Link Field a year ago. Seattle is 1-3 ATS off a loss against a division rival.

The Seahawks defense will certainly be tested, as Romo’s 111.2 passer rating against them in four games is the highest by any signal-caller with a minimum of 100 passing attempts against them. Seattle offensive tackle Russell Okung also figures to play a prominent role in this contest, as he’ll likely be trying to block Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He didn’t finish last week’s game due to a bone bruise, which will likely cause the host to keep tight end Zach Miller in to help block an aggressive defense.