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Dallas Cowboys football is about to return. The break was a good thing, it allowed the team to re-tool and get healthy, while fans could take a mini-rest before the anxiety returns. The Cowboys have been so up and down this season you don’t know what you’ll get in any given game. Maybe the post-bye watchword should be consistency. But consistency in a good way.
Dallas will start their return with the Los Angeles Rams. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Cowboys as six-point favorites over the Rams. Part of that is because the game is at AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys have been winning a lot recently. The Cowboys also appear to have a stronger roster, although that doesn’t always add up to a win.
Let’s see what some other sites say about the game.
Lorenzo Reyes: Cowboys 28, Rams 20
Coming off the bye, Dallas should be well-rested and focused. The Rams outplayed the Steelers for three quarters but the offense stalled in the fourth. With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, the L.A. passing game is in decent shape but the Cowboys should have enough to outscore the Rams.
Tyler Dragon: Cowboys 24, Rams 20
Fresh off a bye week, the Cowboys are looking for their second straight win. Will they pull off the LA team sweep after getting demolished by the 49ers a few weeks ago? The Cowboys have turned the page from their demolition in The Bay, and another victory will prove it.
This is a common theme this week. The large majority of predictions say the Cowboys will win, but in some cases will not cover the 6-point spread.
Why Gennaro is taking the Cowboys: According to the good folks at Next Gen Stats, the Cowboys boast the No. 1 pressure rate in the NFL, while the Rams rank 28th in pressure rate allowed. The biggest concern for Los Angeles’ shaky offensive line is obviously game-wrecker extraordinaire Micah Parsons, but he’s not the only concern. DeMarcus Lawrence is playing some of his best football in Year 10, while Osa Odighizuwa is breaking out in Year 3. Add in the additional pass-rushing waves Dan Quinn summons via Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dante Fowler Jr. and Sam Williams, and Dallas is primed to throw a pressure party at Matthew Stafford’s expense.
Cowboys 27-17
Another common theme, a score of 27-17. That was my prediction for the game. And we get it again below.
The Cowboys are coming off a bye, while the Rams lost a tight one to the Steelers on Sunday. This is a tough game on the road against a rested team for the Rams. Dallas seemed to right things in its last game against the Chargers and that will carry over here. Cowboys win it.
Pick: Cowboys 27 - Rams 17
How about one more 27-17 Dallas?
Dallas sees an opening to gain some ground, with the 49ers hitting a rough spot.
Florio: Cowboys, 27-17.
Simms: Cowboys, 20-17.
One more prediction.
The Cowboys had a bye week, and they have been dominant in their two home games; winning by a combined score of 78-3. The Rams are a step up in competition, but Matthew Stafford has taken 11 sacks and has just three TD passes in losses to Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Cowboys will be bringing that pressure, too. That spread still looks a touch high.
Pick: Cowboys 28, Rams 23
The Cowboys are the overwhelming favorite among predictors to win the game, but they don’t always cover. What’s your call BTB? Hit the comments and give us your score for the game.
The group of BTB writers that are predicting games this season are below. We used Tallysight to predict each game for Week 8 of the NFL.
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