There isn't a team in the NFL which needs something good to happen more than the San Francisco 49ers. They got off to a horrid start to last preseason, and they have been miserable at the start of this preseason, too. Between bad starts and all of the offseason defections, Jim Tomsula has to know that this team must get back on the right track soon against the Dallas Cowboys.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
These last couple of seasons, Tony Romo has really been protected and hasn't been put in harm's way. He'll play this Sunday for the first time in the preseason in all likelihood, but expecting more than a drive out of him would be asking too much.
Beyond Romo, Brandon Weeden will probably get a drive as well, but you can bet that Jason Garrett will be calling on Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers a lot in this one once again.
The problem the Niners and their live bettors have is that their quarterbacks are so darn bad. Colin Kaepernick won't play a ton in this game, and we can't see Blaine Gabbert or Dylan Thompson amounting to much either. Figure to see Gabbert for at least half of this game in totality for San Fran.
WHEN SAN FRANCISCO HAS THE BALL
The Niners have to open this offense up just a bit against a Dallas defense which won't show any aggression whatsoever. Blitzes will be few and far between for the Cowboys, which will give both Kaepernick and Gabbert a chance to show off their arms.
Last week though, if you take away a stray 53-yard run by Jarryd Hayne, the rest of this offense had 146 total yards.
WHEN DALLAS HAS THE BALL
This game may as well be dubbed "Fifty Shades of Vanilla." No matter how you slice it or who is out there on the field, you're not going to see much out of the Cowboys.
Gus Johnson, who just trying to make the team at tailback, was the workhorse of the backfield last week, carrying the ball 13 times for 35 yards and a TD, but at some point, Dallas' starting running backs and their top depth guys have to hit the field. That means that we could see some more of Joseph Randle in this game, especially knowing that he is projecting out to see a lot of the carries covered by the departed DeMarco Murray from last season.
The only reason live bettors wouldn't just fade away on the Cowboys though, is because the San Francisco defense has been so bad. This is the thinnest defense in the NFL as we see it, and there's a reason that the Niners only had the ball for 19:54 the entire game last week against Houston. The Texans just kept converting time and time again to move the chains, and if not for some fourth down blunders, they would've won that game by three or four touchdowns instead of just 13 points.
TREND TO TRACK
At least Garrett has been consistent these last two seasons. He's 0-5 SU, and covering a game would be a tremendous chore as well.
Dallas has actually never won a Week 2 preseason game with Garrett in command, going not just 0-5 SU, but 0-5 ATS as well.
The trend in those games for live bettors is constant: The Cowboys just don't score in the second halves of games when their reserves are in. Games often fly by, and unders are often the result as well. Betting against Dallas and the under in the second halves of preseason games in general has been money.
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -1.5 in favor of the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL odds total surfaced at 38. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys is scheduled for Sunday, August 23, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. The game will be broadcast on KPIX 5.
