The Dallas Cowboys (2-1) will look to bounce back from a disastrous performance when they take on the New England Patriots from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Last Sunday was a day to forget for the Cowboys. They walked into Arizona as 14-point favorites against the Cardinals, but never seemed to get out of the gate and lost 28-16. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, but his interception in the end zone denied Dallas a legitimate chance to make a comeback. The loss erased an excellent performance from Tony Pollard, who rushed for 122 yards. Michael Gallup led all receivers with six catches for 92 yards.
The problem was a rough effort from the defense. The Cowboys had a tough time handling Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who threw for 189 yards and a touchdown and added 55 rushing yards.
Despite the loss, the Cowboys’ odds to win the Super Bowl didn’t change much. FanDuel Sportsbook has Dallas at +950 to win the big game, slightly ahead of the Buffalo Bills (+1000) and behind the Philadelphia Eagles (+700).
New England (1-2) earned their first win of the season last Sunday, a gritty 15-10 road win over the New York Jets. Quarterback Mac Jones struggled with accuracy (15-of-29), but threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who spent eight seasons in Dallas, rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries. The Patriots defense had four sacks and recorded a safety.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
New England Patriots at Dallas CowboysTime/TV: 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Spread: Dallas -6.5
Over/Under: 43.5
Moneyline: Cowboys -250; Patriots +205
Analysis: There’s definitely going to be interest surrounding Elliott, who spent eight seasons with Dallas before the two sides split during the offseason. The 28-year-old Elliott is coming off his best performance of the season and will be ready to show his old teammates what they are missing out on.
This could be a good thing for Dallas. The Cowboys need to focus on this week’s game without looking ahead to next weekend’s Sunday night showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. The Dallas defense is going to get after Jones early and try to contain Elliott.
Prediction: Cowboys 21, Patriots 14
