Dallas Cowboys (6-6 SU, 7-5 ATS) vs. Chicago Bears (6-6 SU, 3-9 ATS)
Week 14 NFL
Date/Time: Thursday Night Football, December 5, 2019 at 8:20PM EST
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
TV: Fox/NFL
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: DAL -3/CHI +3
Over/Under Total: 43.5
The Dallas Cowboys take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Thursday Night Football. This is the second Thursday appearance in a row for both teams, after having just played on Thanksgiving in week 13. Dallas saw their season hit a new low, dropping a 26-15 game at home to the Bills. After a 3-0 start, it was their 6th loss in 9 games and they really need a positive development. Against Chicago, they will going into a tough place to play against a team that won last week, beating the Lions on Turkey Day, 24-20, for their second win in a row, bringing them to the .500 mark. Who can peek their nose above the .500 mark this week on TNF?
While both teams are 6-6, they occupy very different positions heading into week 14. Dallas still holds a narrow lead in the NFC East and they have a viable playoff future, even if they aren't doing very well at the moment. Chicago, with the same record, has a very problematic road to the postseason and unless a lot of stars line up properly, it's not going to happen. In the NFC this season, there might be a 10-win team that doesn't get in.
Still, with two straight wins, the Bears still have some life in their legs. And that's commendable in a season where nothing has gone their way, a surprisingly-ineffective follow-up to their 12-win campaign of '18. Narrow wins over Detroit and the Giants are not cause for a parade perhaps, but their defense can still control games. And despite some major setbacks this season, they haven't been embarrassed. It's just that an offense that took a big step back this season and a defense that slipped a bit as a result has been enough to take a playoff contender and make them a mid-pack entity.
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The derided Mitchell Trubisky had a pretty good game last week, putting up 338 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit. He has been more-prolific lately, with the flip side of that coin being more picks, as he has thrown four in the last three games. Anthony Miller was huge with 140 receiving yards, along with a productive day from Allen Robinson and Javon Wims. With 75 yards on 16 carries, David Montgomery gave them a little juice in their run-game—something they haven't always received this season. While we saw some spark on Thanksgiving, it was their first game in 6 weeks where they topped 20 points in scoring. More often than not, it has been a big grind on offense for this bunch and that's why they have covered one measly spread since September 23.
The Chicago defense has kept the Bears above water. And despite a stunning lack of support from the other side of the ball, they have held up admirably. In the last six games, they are giving up an average of 17 points, which is still not good enough for this offense. In any event, the "D" can make big plays and show enough stoutness to keep the Bears in games. And against a Dallas offense that gets so little out of what it has, that could be worth a lot this week at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas seems to be a team mired in dysfunction. A strong start to the season has all but evaporated. It is imperative that a team is able to see what they have materialize on a regular basis. On offense, you have one of the best backs in football, capable receivers, and a good offensive line. So why are they stuck in the mud more often than not? Watching the Cowboys, you start to wonder: Why aren't they scoring? And despite a defense that is solid across all areas, it just hasn't seemed to matter much lately. Whether it's coaching, a lack of clutch play, mistakes, or what—it's hard to explain why their results are so poor.
Dak Prescott has completed two-thirds of his throws for nearly 4000 yards. He has 23 TD throws, though 11 picks is a bit on the high side. Ezekiel Elliott is near 1000 yards on the ground. Between Amari Cooper (questionable), Michael Gallup, and Randall Cobb, they have several different capable ball-catchers, with productive tight end play from Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin. Their line is still good. And yet, they're not a good offense and far from consistent. Why? In terms of yardage, they are ranked second. Yet, when the top NFL offenses are discussed, no one mentions Dallas. There's a separation there, a chasm that is hard to explain. And with 24 total points scored in their last two games, what can be expected this week against a good Bears' defense at Soldier Field?
Even if it's the Dallas offense that is the culprit for most of Dallas' recent woes, the "D" hasn't really been getting better. One would think a good secondary could be a good matchup against Trubisky, but since when has anything on paper with Dallas really manifested? Still, with Demarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn, Sean Lee (questionable), and Jaylon Smith in the front-seven, with some stoutness in the back, this could be a spot where we again see the Chicago offense struggle to establish much momentum.
This is certainly not an easy call and it seldom is when you have two teams underachieving like this. On one hand, the urgency for Dallas might be higher, with jobs on the line and a more realistic future to strive for. But the urgency was there the last few weeks and what good did it do? Chicago is in better form and at home. I see their defense being tough on an off-rhythm Cowboys' offense, as they nick the cover on Thursday.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Chicago Bears plus 3 points. Bet the Cowboys-Bears game for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 at GTBets!
