The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys will meet at FedEx Field to finish out the regular season. A key player to watch in this game is NFL’s leading rusher, Murray (1,745 yards, 12 TDs). Dallas (11-4) and Washington (4-11) enter this week’s game going in opposite directions. Players will take the field Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET and the game will air on FOX.
In a Week 8 meeting between these two teams, Dallas lost a game they could have won against Washington 20-17. Murray had a great performance, racking up 221 total yards. He was tough for the defense to handle as both a runner (141 yards) and receiver (80 yards). Witten added 70 yards and a TD on five catches.
Dallas is a five-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 49 points. The Redskins enter the game with records of 4-11 Straight Up (SU) and 5-10 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Redskins have records of 1-4 SU and 2-3 ATS. Holes can be found in Dallas’s pass defense, which allows a completion percentage of 66.5% to its opponents. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Redskins look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. The Cowboys will need to stop Washington’s defense from stripping the ball in order to be successful in this game. It ranks fifth in the league in fumbles recovered with 0.8 per game.
In the other locker room, the Cowboys have 11-4 SU and 9-6 ATS records this season. In the previous five games, Dallas has a record of 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. Offensively, they should have an easy time scoring against a defense that is statistically bad. The Redskins give up a whopping 26.3 points per game. If earlier games are any indication, the Cowboys will pound the rock on offense. They average 154.9 rushing yards per road game, good enough for third in the NFL. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Dallas defense can dominate if they take advantage of some favorable matchups. Dallas’s third-ranked road run defense has given its competition nightmares. Opponents have only run for 79 yards per home game against this intimidating group. The Redskins need to recognize the importance of securing the ball against the turnover-minded Cowboys. The defense ranks fourth in the league in turnovers with 1.9 per game. The Cowboys should be aware that the floodgates tend to open on the Redskins during the fourth quarter, when they allow eight points per game. Prepare to see a lot of yellow flags flying around when the Redskins are playing. They are one of the most penalized teams in the NFL with 7.4 calls per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – DAL, ATS Winner – DAL, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
Washington is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games at home.
Washington is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home.
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing Dallas.
Washington is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Dallas.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Dallas is 9-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Washington is 3-1 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Washington is an even 2-2 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and winless (0-6 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Since the start of last season, Dallas is 8-3 SU against NFC East opponents, while Washington is just 2-9 SU against division foes.
Dallas is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its second-ranked rushing attack will face the ninth-ranked run defense of Washington, while its 10th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 20th-ranked rushing game of the Redskins.
