>The Dallas Cowboys have a forecast 63% chance to win against The Washington Football Team with a spread of -10.0/10.0 and an over/under of 48.0. The Dallas Cowboys are 1 – 0 against The Washington Football Team in the 2021-22 Season.
— Sunday, December 26th Washington Football Team @ Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys can technically clinch the NFC East before they take the field on Sunday, but they can leave no doubt with a win on Sunday night. And they’d love nothing better than to do it head-to-head against longtime arch-rivals Washington. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is slated for 8:20 p.m. ET and will air on NBC.
These longtime rivals in the NFC East, Dallas and Washington, have met 123 times over the years, and the Cowboys lead 74-47-2. Dallas nearly blew a big lead in Washington just two weeks ago but held on for a 27-20 win. Washington swept the season series in 2020 with a 41-16 win in Dallas on Thanksgiving, but they are 1-4 in the last five trips to Texas.
Heinicke Returns for Washington
On the season, WFT is 5-8-1 ATS, and the under is 8-6 in their 14 games. The offense ranks 23rd in scoring (20.2 ppg), 21st in passing (210.9 ypg), and 14th in rushing (118.3 ypg). The defense ranks 30th against the pass (260.6) and 25th in scoring (25.1) but eight against the run (103.9).
Washington gets quarterback Taylor Heinicke back off the COVID list for this game after he missed last Thursday’s loss to the Eagles. With Kyle Allen also out, Garrett Gilbert made his first Washington appearance and threw for 194 yards. Heinicke, who has 2,931 yards on the season, was injured in the first Dallas game after going 11-for-25 for 122 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Running back Antonio Gibson is questionable with a toe injury that forced him to leave the Eagles game twice. He finished that game with just 26 yards on 15 carries and was held to 36 yards on ten carries by Dallas two weeks ago. Gibson has 862 yards on the season with six touchdowns, and if he can’t play, Jarrett Patterson will likely be the starter.
The Washington passing game pretty much starts and ends with Terry McLaurin, who has 63 catches for 859 yards and five touchdowns. No other healthy player on the roster has more than 365 yards or more than three touchdowns. Adam Humphries is second on the team in yardage, while Gibson is second in receptions.
Cowboys Offense Chugging Along
The Cowboys are an NFL-best 11-3 ATS this season, and the under is 8-6 in their 14 games. The offense leads the league in total yards (403.3), ranking sixth in passing (275.1), sixth in rushing (128.2), and second in scoring (28.6). Led by rookie Micah Parsons, the defense ranks seventh in scoring (20.9), but they allow the eighth-most yards at 356.9 per game.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has the Cowboys scoring in bunches, but he’s not gone over 300 passing yards in three straight games. On the season, Prescott has 3,598 yards to go with 25 touchdowns and ten interceptions. Last week against the Giants, he tallied 217 yards, six more than he had against Washington the week before when he also had two interceptions.
Zeke Elliott is closing in on 1,000 yards on the season but hasn’t topped 100 in a game since October 10. He ran for 45 yards on 12 carries in the first Washington game and has just one touchdown in the last three contests. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher last week with 74 yards, and he has 676 on the season.
When the Cowboys are able to get Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup on the field at the same time, they are explosive. Each have missed games this season, but they have combined for 15 touchdowns and 153 receptions. Tight end Dalton Schultz is a big weapon as well, with 61 catches and five scores.
Parsons leads Dallas with 12 sacks on the season, while Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with ten interceptions. Diggs needs just one more to tie the franchise record and is a big reason why Dallas is +12 in the turnover margin.
Betting Analysis
- Washington +10 (-110). Money Line +330
- Dallas Cowboys -10 (-110). Money Line -435
- Total: 47 points. Over -105. Under -115
The Cowboys built a big lead against Washington last time around but let off the gas and nearly blew a 19-point lead. They have the perfect recipe against a rough Washington defense to pass the ball and move the ball all game long.
Washington can’t score with Dallas, and if they turn the ball over early, this will be a long game for the WFT as Dallas celebrates an NFC East title.
Betting Pick: Cowboys -10 (-110)
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