The New England Patriots (3-0) look to add to their unbeaten streak as they travel to meet the Dallas Cowboys (2-2). The NFL’s fifth-leading passer, Tom Brady (1,112 yards, 9 TDs), will be on display in this contest. It starts at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct 11 and can be seen on CBS.
Dallas lost to New Orleans 26-20 last week. Anthony Hitchens led the Dallas defense in the loss, totaling eight tackles. New England is hoping for a similar result as its last game when they blew out Jacksonville 51-17. LeGarrette Blount had a big game on the ground for the Patriots, gaining 78 yards and three TDs on 18 carries. Tom Brady also had a big day, contributing 358 yards and two TDs through the air.
New England is a considerable seven-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 49 points.
Heading into Week 5 of league action, the Cowboys are 2-2 Straight Up (SU) and 1-3 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cowboys have completed a league-best 75.6% of their passes this season. Transitioning to the Dallas defense, there are some factors that could impact the outcome. The Patriots may have a difficult time running against the Cowboys. The Patriots average 87 yards per game on the ground, 27th in the NFL. An early lead would benefit the Patriots, because they are one of the worst defensive scoring teams in the fourth quarter. They’ve given up an average of 12 points per game in the final quarter.
Compared to the Cowboys, the Patriots have 3-0 SU and 2-0-1 ATS records this season. New England has found a lot of success through the air. Its 359.3 passing yards per game tops the NFL. Switching gears to the New England defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. The Cowboys need to do a good job of protecting their QB against the strong pass rush of the Patriots. The defense leads the league in sacks with 4.3 per game. The Patriots don’t waste time early in the game, averaging eight points in the first quarter this year.
Predictions: SU Winner – Dal, ATS Winner – Dal, O/U – Under
Notes
Dallas is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games.
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games.
Dallas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas’s last 7 games when playing New England.
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New England.
New England is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Dallas is 1-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Dallas is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 15th-ranked rushing attack will face the 23rd-ranked run defense of New England, while its ninth-ranked run defense will look to contain the 27th-ranked rushing game of the Patriots.
Dallas has allowed 32.5 points per contest at home this year, which ranks it only 27th in the league. New England has scored 40.0 points per game on the road (ranked third overall).
