The NFC East is suddenly getting a lot tighter heading into the week 14 Dallas at Washington betting matchup. This is the first meeting between these two division rivals this season, who will also battle at AT&T Stadium in week16. WFT brings a 4-game win streak into this contest, while the Cowboys have lost three of their last five.
Even though Washington is red hot with four straight wins, oddsmakers have them as +6.5 home underdogs. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has guaranteed a win on Sunday, while WFT coach Ron Rivera has said his remarks were “a big mistake.” This should be a good one.
Statement Game for Cowboys
Dallas looked like they were going to run away with the NFC East after a 6-1 start, but per usual some recent struggles have media pundits saying the Cowboys season is over. Make no mistake, the team hasn’t looked great in a 30-16 home loss to Denver, falling 9-19 at Kansas City, or dropping a 36-33 OT game to the Raiders on Thanksgiving – but they still control their own destiny.
That destiny starts in the week 14 Dallas at Washington matchup, and the Cowboys play a WFT defense that has stifled some pretty solid offenses over the last month. What makes the Cowboys offense so hard to handicap is that they are very inconsistent lately. Are we going to see the team that had 23 total points in losses to Denver and at the Chiefs, or the one that has put up an average of 30 the last two games?
Dak Prescott has a lot of pressure on him Sunday, and Washington has held Derek Carr and the Raiders to 15, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to 15, and Tom Brady and the Bucs to 19 points over the last four games.
Can Washington Stay Hot?
One of the best ways WFT has been able to right their ship a bit is playing with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve been underdogs in all four games during their win streak, a trend which continues getting +6.5 points at home on Sunday – a number that has jumped from a +4 open. Just 51% of the public are on Dallas on this line.
Washington has shown improvement on both sides of the ball since their 2-6 start to the season. That’s mostly been evident on defense, where WFT has held five straight opponents to 21 points or less. Washington is up to a top 3 team vs. the run (91.3) and have employed a bend but don’t break mentality vs. the pass, allowing 269.3 ypg (30th) but also limiting the success of Carr, Wilson, and Brady recently.
The big question is if Washington can survive their offense with the ‘doing just enough’ strategy? WFT has gotten by with 17-15 wins in each of the last two weeks against Seattle and Las Vegas, even though QB Taylor Heinicke has completed over 72% of his passes in four straight games. Antonio Gibson has also ran for 88+ yards in three straight so Washington has some upside.
Week 14 Dallas at Washington Pick
Washington swept this series last year, 25-3 at home and 41-18 at Dallas. No reason not to love taking the points.
Dallas 27 – Washington 30
Free Pick: Washington +6.5
