SNF Betting Odds Week 4: Cowboys vs. Saints
Carrie Stroup here with your SNF betting odds for Week 4: The Cowboys vs. Saints game.
DALLAS COWBOYS (2-1) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-3)
Sportsbook.ag Line: New Orleans -3.5, Total: 46.5
The Cowboys look to get back on track Sunday night as they head to the Bayou to take on the winless Saints.
What used to be a matchup between two of the NFC’s elite teams has possibly turned into the Backup Bowl in the Bayou as Brandon Weeden leads Dallas into the Superdome to possibly face the Luke McCown-led Saints. While Cowboys QB Tony Romo (collarbone) can't return until Week 11, Saints QB Drew Brees is still a possibility depending how practice goes, but he is officially listed as questionable.
Both teams enter Sunday with a 1-2 ATS record and the same minus-3 turnover margin with six giveaways and only three takeaways. Despite not being in the same division, these teams are playing for the fourth straight season and sixth time in the past seven years. The road team won the first three meetings in that stretch, but the home team has won big the past two seasons with the Saints prevailing 49-17 in 2013 and the Cowboys returning the favor last year with a 38-17 drubbing. Dallas gave up 39 points in last week's loss to Atlanta, but doesn't usually have two poor defensive efforts in a row, as the franchise is 25-12 ATS in 1992 after giving up 35+ points in its previous game. But in this same timeframe, New Orleans is 13-7 ATS versus teams averaging 32+ minutes of possession and 21+ first downs per game.
In addition to the quarterback ailments, the Cowboys could missing DE Jeremy Mincey (concussion) and will definitely not have the services of WR Dez Bryant (foot), LB Rolando McClain (suspension), DE Greg Hardy (suspension), DE Randy Gregory (ankle) and DT Terrell McClain (toe), who was lost for the season last week. The Saints had three players get injured last week who are all questionable for Sunday -- CB Keenan Lewis (hip), LB Dannell Ellerbe (toe) and G Jahri Evans (knee).
Last week Dallas jumped out to a quick lead against the Falcons thanks to a pair of first- quarter touchdown runs from Joseph Randle. In the second quarter, Cowboys RB Darren McFadden also found the end zone followed later by Randle's third score of the half. Not to be outdone, Atlanta’s backup RB Devonta Freeman also ran for two touchdowns in the first half en route to a monster day. Freeman posted career marks across the board, toting the rock 30 times for 141 yards and three scores in the wake of Tevin Coleman’s rib injury. The Cowboys defense entered the contest ranked top-10 in rushing, passing, scoring, and total defense, yet managed to give up the final four scores of the game to lose 39-28.
Backup QB Brandon Weeden completed 22-of-26 passes for 232 yards (8.9 YPA), but there was no threat of anything downfield with more than half of his completions going to running backs. Dallas was able to amass only 347 yards of offense while going 1-for-6 on third downs. Meanwhile, the Falcons racked up 438 yards and converted 9-of-14 third-down conversions en route to the victory.
Saints RB Mark Ingram has done his best to keep his offense afloat, but with offensive line issues and a struggling passing game there are just no holes to bust through. QB Drew Brees missed his first career start after suffering a bruised rotator cuff in Week 2 versus the Bucs. Brees had started 203 games in a row over his 15-year, Hall of Fame career before Sunday's 27-22 loss to Carolina. All that remains from the glory years of this franchise are the Superdome, head coach Sean Payton, and Brees, or what remains of him after giving 10 glorious years to the Louisiana faithful.
It's almost hard to imagine that a Luke McCown-led offense outscored Brees' in either of his first two outings this season, but it did in fact happen. New Orleans should feel good about the way McCown played last week though, throwing for 310 yards as they scored 22 points at Carolina, the league's No. 2 defense.
The Saints defense has been dreadful in defending the pass this year, allowing 271 passing YPG on 9.7 YPA. The run-stop unit has been serviceable though, giving up 126 rushing YPG on 4.2 YPC.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
