Dallas Cowboys (6-6 SU, 6-6 ATS) vs. New York Giants (2-10 SU, 5-7 ATS)
Week 14 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, December 10, 2017 at 1PM EST
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: DAL -4.5/NYG +4.5
Over/Under Total: 41.5
In NFC East action from East Rutherford, the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants on Sunday. The Cowboys are hoping to go on a streak, following a must-win last Thursday, when the Cowboys beat the Redskins, 38-14. It was their first win without Ezekiel Elliott and they hope for more this week against a team they already beat. In week one of the season, the Cowboys beat the Giants in Arlington, 19-3, as they now try to do it without the contributions of Elliott. On Sunday, the Giants saw their season continue to fall apart with a 24-17 home-loss to the Oakland Raiders. The Giants have made a lot of people feel foolish this season and on Monday morning, we saw that the shoe had dropped, with the firings of head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese.
It's been an up-and-down season for the Cowboys, who are struggling to find foothold at 6-6. After a 2-1 start, they lost two in a row, appeared to right the ship with three straight wins, before losing three straight leading up to the win over the Redskins on Thursday Night Football. The division is out of reach with the Eagles pulling away, but a stretch of wins could get them back into the wild-card picture, albeit a crowded one. That makes this a must-win situation.
The Dallas offense had some help from the other side of the ball and special teams on Thursday, with a punt-return TD and some turnovers helping set up the offense advantageously. Dak Prescott threw two touchdowns, but had only 104 yards through the air. He was able to connect with Jason Witten and Dez Bryant on scoring receptions, but his overall aerial production with Elliott out of action has been strangely lacking. They continue to see Alfred Morris thrive and get better, as he took it to his old team on Thursday to the tune of 127 yards and a TD. Prescott and Rod Smith added some nice runs, as Smith also ran in a touchdown. With injuries along the line and Elliott being out, the Cowboys are trying to piece it together and were finally able to find some success against the Redskins.
The defense has been the streakiest part of the Dallas team. When they were appearing to get it together during a recent three-game win streak, the defense was getting healthy and starting to show its teeth. But they faded badly as the Cowboys started losing again. Against Washington, we saw some of that stoutness, pass-rush, and playmaking flair. LB Anthony Hitchens was all over the field and has boosted the middle since his return. Having a healthy Sean Lee back in there would really go a long way, as this side of the ball has looked like a diminished unit in his absence. David Irving has been big since coming back and really gets after the QB, along with Demarcus Lawrence, who had 2 sacks in the last game and now has 13.5 on the season. CB Anthony Brown and S Jeff Heath both picked off Kirk Cousins on Thursday. If they can stay healthy, they could be better in the last four games of the season.
The Giants lost on Sunday, though they did manage to cover the spread. Apparently, with all the coach's failings this season, he felt sitting Eli Manning was the answer and on Sunday, Geno Smith got the start. It may have expedited the tone-deaf McAdoo's departure. It's as if Smith's limitations haven't already been roundly exposed. He threw for 212 yards and a TD on Sunday, also coughing up two fumbles. He connected well with Even Engram, who has 99 yards and a TD. Sterling Shepard had some nice catches, as a stripped-bare receiving crew tries to make it work. Interim head coach Steve Spanuolo has decided to go back to Eli to start this week. RB Orleans Darkwa ran for a touchdown and has been productive in spots for this offense. At the end of the day, it's an offense that averages less than 16 points a game. Since the first of October, they have surpassed 17 points just once and that was in a 31-21 loss to the then-winless 49ers. It's hard to remember a time when a team was this big of a letdown.
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Considering how the Giants' defense got their act together last season, it's quite remarkable that they are the last-ranked defense in terms of yardage allowed this season. They have been awful against the run and the pass this season. Leave it to this defense to make Marshawn Lynch look like he turned the clock back five years. Jason Pierre-Paul has been good in spots, but is not the same guy and the Giants' pass-rush has dropped off precipitously this season. Sunday was more or less a typical performance for them. They were just out there, not doing much of consequence to help the overall team effort.
This certainly looks like a winnable spot for Dallas to get back over the .500-mark. They already dominated the Giants earlier this season, before the pure hopelessness of it all really set in for the Giants. There isn't much about Dallas that makes one want to take them as road-favorites, though they have been decent on the road this season, winning three of their last four away from home. Some teams like the Giants respond well when a coach is let go that first week with a little spurt, especially if that coach wasn't well-liked. Still, I see Dallas getting the job done on the road this week.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Dallas Cowboys minus 4.5 points. Bet the Dallas vs. New York game for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 at GTBets!