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Matt Patricia can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The Lions (1-2) achieved the near impossible when they defeated the Patriots on Sunday, avoiding a dreaded 0-3 figure so early in the season. Now, Detroit will attempt to make use of their newfound vigor to plant yet another loss on the Dallas Cowboys (1-2), who’re still licking their wounds after a difficult game with the Seahawks last week, in which they fell 24 to 13. The action will begin early on Sunday, at 1:00 pm EST and will be broadcast by the FOX sports network.
Both teams have well-defined prerogatives: Dallas will seek to get some kind of comeback after a pretty poor performance against Seattle, in which they failed to put sufficient scoring plays across the enemy field. In a contrary fashion, the Lions may lack a superior defensive lineup, but have experienced fewer problems stacking up the score board. The Cowboys are managing only 14 points per game, compared to Detroit’s 23.3 points per game in average.
Handicappers haven’t all made up their minds yet, nevertheless, as shared with us by our dear friends at YOUWAGER.eu, the Cowboys are leading the odds charts with a tiny -3 spread. The total rests at 44 o/u.
Hear them Roar!
Lions QB Matthew Stafford came to fuller form on week 3, by keeping his passing game highly active and efficient; he finished up 27 of his passes, managed one interception and scored 2 touchdowns alone. Detroit also showed some improvement on the defense, by only allowing New England 152 passing yards. Patricia’s team can also count on the raw talent of newcomer running back Kerryon Johnson, who rushed for more than 100 yards, as well as promising receiver Kenny Golladay, who made some worthy catches and put Brady & team in a state of constant fear.
Diminished Buckaroos
The Cowboys haven’t been doing so great lately; Dak Prescott succeeded at only half of his passes and threw for a minimal 168 yards, and Ezekiel Elliot’s unlawful mistakes may have also cost Dallas a different and more positive outcome. Scarce point-making is another issue that Jason Garrett’s squad will have to overcome; they’ve been allowing more points in than they’ve been able to impose on their foes.
Historically, the Cowboys are 2-1 SU during their last 3 head-to-head encounters with Detroit.
My Prediction: The case for Dallas is –at best- somewhat weak; they may hold the home high-ground advantage but I cannot find any other particular reason why the Cowboys should take precedence over their adversaries. Don’t be surprised if Detroit’s recent ascendancy continues for a few more weeks; it appears Patricia may have stumbled upon a productive setup for his team, as exemplified in their performance against New England. I will gladly take the Lions on the plus 3 points; they might not even need them in the end but it always pays to be a little bit cautious.
