The Dallas Cowboys just can’t get over the hump. For the third game running, they came within a score of a win as they took the Philadelphia Eagles to overtime. But they fell just short, which extended their winless run without Tony Romo.
The Cowboys will be out to avoid unlucky loss No. 7 as they visit Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, who are making decent strides with No. 1 pick Jameis Winston.
Get a full breakdown of this matchup between two NFC cellar dwellers below. And for more Week 10 NFL action, check out our previews of the Chiefs vs. Broncos and Bears vs. Rams.
[sc:Football ]Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
When: Sunday, November 15, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Dallas Cowboys (+1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5); total 43.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (2-6)
Make that six straight losses for the Dallas Cowboys without Tony Romo at quarterback, and 0-3 with Matt Cassel starting. However, Cassel certainly played well enough to get the win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Cassel had easily his best game as a Cowboy with 299 yards and three touchdowns against a very impressive Eagles defense, but did throw a costly pick-six. The Cowboys defense just couldn’t make key stops as they lost a 33-27 heartbreaker in overtime.
Cole Beasley had a big game with nine catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, but the return of Dez Bryant (five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown) to his old self in his second game back from a foot injury, definitely helped open things up in the passing game. Darren McFadden also had 117 rushing yards for his second 100-yard rushing game in the last three weeks.
With Bryant’s return and McFadden’s effectiveness on the ground, this increasingly balanced Cowboys offense should be able to put points on the board against a less-than-stellar Bucs defense, which was ranked at No. 29 against the pass through Week 8 per DVOA.
The Cowboys defense remains a big concern, but Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston hasn’t really had too many reliable weapons on offense to do a lot of damage.
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Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
The numbers aren’t exactly jaw-dropping, but rookie quarterback Jameis Winston is getting better by the week. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft posted his fourth-straight game without an interception, and rushed for his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks. However, he didn’t get the help he needed as the Redskins suffered a 32-18 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday.
Second-year receiver Mike Evans had eight catches for 152 yards, but he dropped five of the other 11 passes thrown his way. Primary running back Doug Martin was also limited to around three yards per carry for the second consecutive week.
With Vincent Jackson still out with a knee injury, the Bucs will have limited options at receiver. But Evans is definitely capable of a much stronger performance, especially against a so-so Cowboys secondary that’s one of the worst at defending No. 1 receivers per DVOA.
The Dallas front seven is also pretty beat up, between Sean Lee suffering another concussion and Anthony Hitchens injuring his ankle. That could open the door for Martin to discover the form which saw him rush for over 100 yards from Weeks 4-7.
The Buccaneers, though, still have a pretty bad defense (28.9 points allowed per game, 29th in the NFL), which makes them hard to trust at home. Another thing that makes them hard to trust: they’re a horrific 1-12 (3-10 ATS) in their last 13 home games. But the over has gone 4-0 in four home games this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cowboys (+1.5) finally get that much needed win, 24-21, over the Bucs.
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