The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals kick off against each other in the desert Friday night with a matchup pitting two solid offenses. The contest will be game three of a trio of preseason games taking place on Friday.
The kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. According to oddsmakers, the Cardinals are a 1.5-point favorite, and the point total over-under is at 39.
What to Know – Dallas Cowboys
Dallas opened up the preseason season last Thursday night with a 16-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game. The Cowboys were without the services of many of its stars on offense, and it showed, failing score inside the red zone. Dallas’s projected win total this season is 9.5.
None of the stars on the Cowboys offense played last week, and you’d predict that some of those first-string players will see a bit of action Friday night. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott remains sidelined, so we will see more of backups Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci. If running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup see some action, the offense should look a bit better than last Thursday’s showing.
The Cowboys’ defense performed well against the Steelers in the opener, a positive sign for a unit that was one of the worst in the league’s last season. As defensive coordinator Dan Quinn continues to integrate his defensive philosophy in his first season in Dallas, expect the unit to continue to take the proper steps forward as the regular season nears.
What to Know – Arizona Cardinals
Arizona opens up their preseason Friday night for Kliff Kingsbury’s third season as head coach of the Cardinals. The Cardinals finished 2020 with an 8-8 record after a 5-2 start. Oddsmakers peg the Cardinals to finish near that exact win total this season, with their win total at 8.
Starting quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to see some action Friday night with backups Colt McCoy and Chris Streveler taking the lion’s share of the snaps for the Cardinals. Wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and offseason signee A.J. Green might make brief appearances with limited action.
The Cardinals’ defense will have many of its stars seeing extended action, especially at linebacker. 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Simmons and 2021 first-round pick Zaven Collins will log extended reps this preseason, with neither having gotten preseason reps yet. It is unlikely that J.J. Watt will make his Cardinals’ debut as the veteran sits out to avoid injury.
The Pick is In
Another week and another road contest for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are expected to play a handful of backups again, especially on offense, so expect another low-scoring affair.
Arizona has a young defense, with many of its starters expected to play a majority of the preseason to gain valuable experience before the start of the regular season. Even if Murray sees limited action, McCoy is a veteran quarterback with NFL experience capable of scoring points in Arizona’s offense.
Betting Pick: Arizona Cardinals -1.5
