New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys Line


Written by

This Thursday the improving Dallas Cowboys will host the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in a Thanksgiving day tradition that figures to be one heck of a game. The Cowboys won their second straight game since naming Jason Garrett head coach, as they beat the Lions 35-19 at home. The Saints are also starting to turn it on as the season grows older, as they beat the Seahawks 34-19 for their third consecutive win. Even though Dallas has looked like a completely different team the past two weeks, the current NFL odds have the Saints favored by 3-points over the Cowboys on the road.

New Orleans Saints (7-3): After failing to top 30 points in the first five games of the season, the Saints have scored 30 or more in three of their last five games, including 34 points in each of the last two weeks.

Drew Brees continues to struggle with throwing interceptions, as he threw two more against the Seahawks, giving him 12 in the Saints last six games, but he more than made up for it last week, as he finished with 382 yards and four touchdowns. Brees leads the league with 22 touchdown passes, and has thrown at least two in each of the past six games.

Marques Colston had just his second 100-yard receiving performance of the season, as he hauled in eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Even with the two scores last week, Colston has just three touchdowns on the season, and if they can start getting him more involved, the Saints could get on quite a tear to finish the season.

With Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas both still unable to make their way back from injuries, Chris Ivory responded with a big time performance, rushing for 99 yards and a touchdown. Bush who was hoping to be back last week, is expected to make his return against the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys (3-7): While their is still a lot of work to be done, the Cowboys aren’t completely out of the playoff picture, and a win this week would be a huge statement for a team that is all the sudden playing with a since of urgency.

Jon Kitna didn’t throw for a ton of yards last week, finishing with just 147 yards on 18 of 24 passing, but did have three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also finished with 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with 51 yards rushing on 11 carries, but was second on the team with 35 receiving yards on three catches. Miles Austin had just two catches for seven yards, but both were touchdown catches.

Dallas has also turned things around on the defensive side of the ball. After giving up at least 30 points in four of five games, the Cowboys have held their last two opponents to 20 or fewer. With the Cowboys trailing 12-7, Bryan McCann returned a punt 97 yards for a score, just one week after taking an Eli Manning interception 101 yards for a touchdown, and with the struggles Brees has had with throwing to the other team, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another big play out of McCann this week.

Looking at the Odds: I really believe that this is a different Dallas team than the one we saw coached by Wade Phillips, and I think getting them as an underdog on Thanksgiving day is a can’t miss opportunity. The Cowboys 6-0 ATS against NFC South division opponents over the last 3 seasons, while the Saints are -6 ATS after allowing 6.5 or more yards/play in their previous game over the last 2 seasons. My final score prediction is Dallas 27, New Orleans 23.

Subscribe to the BetFirms RSS Feed
Comments

2 Responses to “New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys Line”

  1. HaleyWHODAT!(; on November 22nd, 2010 10:19 PM

    I Find myself HATING the Dallas FailBoys, My team is the New Orleans Saints, After seeing the Superbowl In January, Saints against the Colts, I was Extremly interested in The saints, My HomeTown (Baton Rouge) We partyed Un-Belively, It was amazing, So many people didn’t Come to school. Teachers were gone. Baton Rouge won’t Stop Celebrating with Drew Brees on our team ,from the Amazingly Generous Chargers, We have Been Lead to the First superbowl of our Time! We’ve had our Fun. But still Going to beat the Dallas FAILboys (; Im excited to see this happen. GO SAINTS! W

  2. SaintsBlow on November 22nd, 2010 10:57 PM

    Haley, you represent Louisiana amazingly accurately with that babbling inarticulate filth, but:

    As big of failures as everyone from Louisiana is, only the Cowboys will be bigger failures than the Saints in the long run. I would take Saints, even at -4 spread. I don’t give a crap that gimpy Bush and Thomas are not back yet.

Got something to say?