New England was supposed to be the team without its starting quarterback entering this inter-conference matchup with Dallas. Instead the Cowboys are just trying to stay afloat without Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and now running back Lance Dunbar as the injuries continue to mount. Tom Brady had his four-game suspension overturned prior to the season and has been on fire, leading the Patriots to a 3-0 SU and 2-0-1 ATS record this season.
ODDS
The line opened at New England -7 with a total of 49. Early money on the visitors pushed the spread as high as -9 before settling at its current -8. Given the present state of both clubs, it’s hard to imagine the number won’t be pushed higher. The total was wagered to 49.5
KEY INJURIES
Brice Butler – Strained his right hamstring last Sunday at New Orleans after making a 67-yard catch down the sideline early in the third quarter. He’s been ruled out for the Patriots game, leaving the Cowboys even more limited on offense after injuries hit the unit hard.
Lance Dunbar – Suffered a torn ACL in last week’s game and is out for the season, dealing yet another blow to the Cowboys offense. Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle will have an increased workload in the backfield and Christine Michael could get more snaps as the third back.
KEY MISMATCH
Coverage breakdowns in New Orleans cost the Cowboys in last week’s loss in New Orleans, and the Patriots come off the bye week with a chameleon-like offense, adaptable to attack those same weaknesses. Covering running back Dion Lewis and receiver Julian Edelman are problematic for Dallas’ drop zone defense, but that’s secondary to handling tight end Rob Gronkowski. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he’ll use multiple defenders to try and eliminate Gronk, but linebacker Sean Lee and cornerback Byron Jones could be assigned the difficult task. While the Cowboys offense is minus several playmakers, the defense is getting reinforcements. End Greg Hardy and linebacker Rolando McClain have served their suspensions and are eligible to play this week. Too bad for the Boys they don’t play on offense.
KEY STAT
-3 – Dallas’ turnover margin. The Cowboys are tied for 22nd in turnover margin and have just three takeaways on the year. They had eight takeaways through four games last season and finished with 31. New England has turned the ball over just two times this year.
BETTING ANGLE
Fresh off its bye week, the healthy and unbeaten Patriots make their first visit to ATT Stadium to take on a hurting Cowboys team trying to avoid its third straight loss without Tony Romo. Cowboys’ defensive end Greg Hardy, who is eligible to return from his suspension, wasted no time creating a stir prior to his first NFL game in 13 months, referencing Brady’s wife while speaking with reporters. Everyone should know by now not to piss the Pats’ quarterback off, even though Brady dismissed the comments, saying his focus is strictly game-related. New England has won four straight in the series, including a comeback win in Foxborough in 2011 when Brady directed a go-ahead touchdown drive in the final minute. New England is 11-4 following its bye week under coach Bill Belichick, though two of those defeats have come on the road in the last four seasons.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s hard not to feel bad for the Cowboys given all the injuries they’ve had to deal with on offense this season. Brandon Weeden did his best to keep Dallas close last week against the Saints, but never had an opportunity in overtime after directing a game-tying touchdown drive at the end of regulation. Dunbar was the latest victim of the injury bug, going down with a knee injury and unlike Romo and Bryant, he’s done for the year, taking one of Weeden’s top options with him. The Patriots have looked like a well-oiled machine on offense and are rested and healthy after their bye. The Cowboys will likely have Hardy and McClain back on defense, which will help slow down the Pats and New England’s D hasn’t been spectacular. The Cowboys need to open up the playbook and let Weeden take some chances. The conservative approach isn’t going to work. I like the Boys to hang tough for the cover, but they will lose the game.
New England 27, Dallas 24
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday game at -7 in favor of the Patriots. The NFL odds total surfaced at 49. 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 New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys will kick off Sunday, October 11, 2015, at 4:25 p.m. ET at ATT Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
