Gety Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
After the Dallas Cowboys knocked off the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night to set the tone for the NFC side of the 2019 NFL Playoffs, attention shifted to Sunday afternoon. More specifically, the focus was on the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears game which marked the final matchup of wild-card weekend.
Due to the NFL’s structure which reseeds during the playoffs, it meant the fourth-seeded Cowboys would be waiting until Sunday evening to find out who they’d face. If the No. 3 seed in Chicago got the win, then Dallas would face the New Orleans Saints on the road for a rematch of the Week 13 upset the Cowboys pulled off. With an Eagles win, the Cowboys would head to Los Angeles and face the Rams.
NFL fans received an enjoyable game to finish off the weekend, but in the end, a victory by the Eagles sets up a Cowboys vs. Rams matchup. Let’s take a look at the early betting line along with a prediction on the matchup.
Cowboys vs. Rams Betting Line
It was expected that the Cowboys would open as underdogs on the road, regardless of who their opponent was. But when the odds were released, it was somewhat surprising. As The Action Network revealed, the Rams opened as nearly a touchdown favorite and the total was fairly high also.
- Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-6.5)
- Over/Under 48
As NFL.com revealed on the official playoff schedule, the game between the two teams was already set prior to wild-card weekend. It’s set for Saturday, January 12 at 8:15 p.m. EST as FOX, marking the first of the two NFC divisional matchups.
We’ll take a deeper dive into the matchup and offer up a prediction and pick here.
Cowboys vs. Rams Prediction and Pick
The Cowboys are going to be a tough out, even on the road. With that said, the Rams have been one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the entire year. Betting against them at this point, especially at home, would be a big call to make. But this line is a bit higher than I expected it to start at.
I think we’ll see this game come down to the wire, but the big question is going to be who wins the battle between the Dallas defense and Rams offense. The Cowboys have proven to be an elite defensive unit, but the Rams lit up the scoreboard on a consistent basis this season.
Through the regular season, the Rams had the No. 2 scoring offense with 32.9 points per game. On the other side, the Cowboys defense allowed just 20.3 points per, good for No. 6 best. While I don’t expect the Rams offense to completely shred the Dallas defense, shutting down Todd Gurley and Sean McVay’s high octane offense will be a tough task. Expect the Cowboys to be forced to put some points on the board in this game, which they’ll be able to do.
In the end, the Rams should take advantage of their home field edge and get the win, but it won’t be a blowout. I’ll take the Cowboys with the points and the over 48.
Pick: Cowboys +6.5 and over 48
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