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Two teams that had playoff aspirations heading into the season but have gotten off to relatively slow starts will match up on Monday night, as the Dallas Cowboys head to Glendale to take on the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite coming off a shellacking at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the ‘Boys are slight favorites on the road against Bruce Arians’ team, who have struggled offensively en route to a 1-1 start.
Here’s a complete look at the odds and betting info, per OddsShark:
Spread: Cowboys (-3.5)
Moneyline: Cowboys (-160); Cardinals (+140)
Over/Under: 47
Prediction:
The Cardinals were pegged for a bounce-back year in 2017, but things haven’t really gone as planned. While the defense has been about as good as expected, holding its first two opponents to a minuscule 4.6 yards per play, the offense has managed to score just 36 points. Carson Palmer has looked close to washed up, they’ve already committed five turnovers, and they managed just 16 points in an ugly Week 2 performance against against the Colts, one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
Perhaps Arizona should get a little reprieve, as it’s massively difficult for a Pacific Time Zone team to have to start the season with two consecutive 10 a.m. PT starts on the road. Things should get better now that they’re back at home, but with David Johnson and John Brown both out, and JJ Nelson banged up, Carson Palmer suddenly has a lack of weapons behind Larry Fitzgerald.
On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals defense should be able to keep it close. Lock-down corner Patrick Peterson has the tools to slow down Dez Bryant, and the Cardinals run defense, which has allowed just 2.8 yards per carry, will prove to be a tough test for Ezekiel Elliott, who found very little running room last week against the Broncos.
Dallas ultimately gets the nod because it has more firepower on offense, but expect this to be a close one throughout.
Prediction: Cowboys 24, Cardinals 21
