Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Sunday, December 19, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Cowboys -6
Current Line: Cowboys -6
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 46
Money Line: Cowboys -250 / Redskins +210
A lot has changed since the Washington Redskins (5-8) and Dallas Cowboys (4-9) last met in the regular-season opener. The Redskins won that game 13-7 en route to a 3-2 start, but the Cowboys (-6) have been the hotter team lately with a 3-2 mark in their last five games.
In fact, Dallas is 5-0 against the spread since Jason Garrett took over as head coach with the total going OVER in every game during that stretch. The OVER is a remarkable 10-0 since the team’s bye week, although the first five games of that run were due more to poor defense than good offense. The Cowboys surrendered 35.8 points per game in those first five games after the bye while they have averaged 32 in the last five since then.
The biggest change under Garrett has been the competitiveness displayed on the field no matter what the deficit. The two most recent losses were by identical 30-27 scores against two of the top teams in the NFC (Philadelphia and New Orleans). Dallas trailed the Saints by 17 points before rallying to actually take the lead briefly and also mounted a comeback against the Eagles.
Washington has not been as resilient despite having plenty of opportunities. The Redskins are 1-5 in their last six games, going 1-4-1 ATS. They are coming off a heartbreaking 17-16 home loss to Tampa Bay last week in which kicker Graham Gano missed what would have been the game-tying extra point with nine seconds remaining.
Running back Ryan Torain returned to action for the first time in five games and rushed for a career-high 172 yards on 24 carries in the loss. Torain had been suffering from a hamstring and gives Washington a legitimate threat on the ground to take pressure off quarterback Donovan McNabb, who has thrown a career-high 15 interceptions this season. Against the Bucs, McNabb did not throw a pick and turned in his first passer rating of 100 since Week 2 against Houston.
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan reportedly said he would not commit to naming starters at any position for the second meeting with the Cowboys, proving how frustrated he has become in his first season with the team. Washington has not swept Dallas in the season series since 2005 and has been held without an offensive touchdown in the last 15 quarters against the Cowboys. The Redskins are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings – going 4-4 straight-up – with the UNDER cashing in the last four games between the teams.
Now that you have read this football betting preview featuring the Cowboys & Redskins, make sure to check out the NFL odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.
