NFL Games Today: Cardinals at Cowboys Preview

Old NFC East rivals will square off in a football game this Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys welcome the Arizona Cardinals to the Lone Star State. The NFL odds have the Cowboys as a touchdown favorite in a battle of NFL teams that are currently sitting below .500. Although Dallas is 3-4, the Cowboys are favored to win the NFC East thanks in large part to Philadelphia’s injury woes this season. 

There will be two more NFC East teams squaring off in the NFL tonight. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost five straight games after a 2-0 start, but they are still ahead of the 1-4-1 Washington Commanders. Many observers thought that NBC would flex this game out of Sunday Night Football, but Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be in the nation’s capital for this game.

NFL Games Today and Tonight

This is the first time in six weeks that there will be no international football game. There have already been regular season games between NFL teams in Australia, Brazil, France, and England (x3), and there are upcoming games in Spain, Germany, and Mexico over the next three weeks. Every team will be playing domestically in Week 8 though. 

Who Plays Football Tonight?

Neither one of the teams playing in the NFL tonight are likely to make the postseason. Washington is currently 7-1 to win the NFC East, while Philadelphia is 16-1 to win the division without Jalen Hurts.

Top NFL Matchups to Watch Today

There are two great early games that everyone will be monitoring on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills will welcome the Baltimore Ravens to upstate New York after a bye week, and the Detroit Lions will try to hand the Minnesota Vikings their first loss of the season. In the best late afternoon game, the Denver Broncos are out to avenge a Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL Odds for Today’s Games

We have only seen a handful of double-digit underdogs per the NFL odds thus far this season. However, there are two NFL teams that are expected to lose by 10 or more points on Sunday. The Tennessee Titans are a heavy underdog on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Indianapolis Colts are also a big underdog against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

NFL Moneyline and Point Spread Odds

Buffalo Bills -3 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals -10 vs. Tennessee Titans
Dallas Cowboys -7 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Detroit Lions -3 vs. Minnesota Vikings
New York Jets -1.5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 vs. Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2.5 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Jacksonville Jaguars -10 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Rams -6.5 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Denver Broncos +1.5 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins +7 vs. New England Patriots
Washington Commanders -6 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Totals and Over/Under Lines

O/U 54.5 in Bills vs. Ravens
O/U 46.5 in Bengals vs. Titans
O/U 54.5 in Cowboys vs. Cardinals
O/U 46.5 in Lions vs. Vikings
O/U 45.5 in Jets vs. Raiders
O/U 39.5 in Steelers vs. Browns
O/U 44.5 in Buccaneers vs. Falcons
O/U 46.5 in Jaguars vs. Colts
O/U 45.5 in Rams vs. Chargers
O/U 40.5 in Broncos vs. Chiefs
O/U 43.5 in Dolphins vs. Patriots
O/U 40.5 in Commanders vs. Eagles

NFL Matchup Previews

Oddsmakers expect the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals to play in a very high scoring football game. This is one of the two games between NFL teams on Sunday with a total over 47, as the Cowboys and Cardinals have porous defenses. Dallas ranks in the bottom four in total defense, while Arizona ranks dead last in scoring defense per the NFL stats. 

Offense vs. Defense Matchups

Dallas should have little trouble scoring points against an Arizona defense allowing 29.7 PPG. The Cardinals rank second-to-last in the NFL in yards per play (6.1 YPP) and yards per pass attempt (8.5 YPPA), and Dak Prescott is coming off one of his best performances of the season last week against Philadelphia. 

Key Matchup Advantages

Trey McBride had a big game in a loss to Denver last week. McBride caught 10 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, and Arizona’s star tight end will likely post anther impressive stat line against Dallas on Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys don’t create a lot of havoc for opposing quarterbacks, and teams are completing over 68% of their passes against this unit. Additionally, Dallas has been unable to get off the field as the Cowboys allow opponents to convert 52.9% of their third downs, ranking dead last in the NFL.

NFL Players to Watch Today

Quarterbacks are the most important NFL players in the game today, and Dak Prescott should have a big day against a subpar Arizona secondary. Prescott currently ranks in the top five of two major NFL stats (passing yards and QBR), and that’s why Dallas is one of the NFL teams that can score points on anyone. The Cowboys also have two great receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, so it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise if Lamb and Pickens each finish with over 100 receiving yards.

Quarterbacks and Offensive Playmakers

Arizona is hoping that another skill position player can step up to take the load off tight end Trey McBride. Jeremiyah Love has been sidelined for the last two weeks with an ankle injury, and neither Michael Wilson nor Kendrick Bourne have provided much of an answer. Wilson has a catch rate of 56.1% and is averaging 10.1 YPR, while Bourne is averaging 9.4 YPR.

Elsewhere, everyone is wondering when Lamar Jackson will finally return for Baltimore. The two-time NFL MVP has missed the Ravens’ last three games due to an ankle injury, and Baltimore has missed his presence with consecutive losses to Cleveland and Cincinnati. Jackson did take part in a full practice on Wednesday, so it appears likely that he will play against Buffalo on Sunday. 

Defensive Players Who Could Impact the Game

Quinnen Williams leads Dallas with three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Williams is one of the few players on this defense playing well, as the rest of the Cowboys have combined for seven sacks and 20 TFL. He will make a big impact if he plays on Sunday, but Williams is currently listed as questionable on the injury report.

NFL Stats to Know Before Today’s Games

Time of possession can be one of the most meaningless stats when judging the quality of NFL teams. Accordingly, the Arizona Cardinals rank 4th in the NFL in this metric. Arizona has tried to draft explosive NFL players over the last few years, but none of their first-round picks have panned out. That has led to the Cardinals bleeding clock to shorten games, increasing their likelihood of picking up covers per the NFL odds.

Offensive and Defensive NFL Stats

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are on pace to be two of the top performing receivers per the projected NFL stats. Lamb ranks in the top three in each of the three main receiving categories with 53 receptions for 651 yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Pickens is projected to catch 90 passes for 1,178 yards and five touchdowns based on his current numbers.

Recent Team and Player Trends

Arizona is 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS over its last ten games. The Cardinals were only favored once in this stretch and lost by 12 points to the New York Giants. Meanwhile, Dallas has covered the number in four of its last six games. The Over has cashed in eight of the Cowboys’ last ten games as well.

NFL Lines and Betting Movement

We have seen some movement in the NFL odds for this football game. Dallas opened as a six-point favorite, but the line moved to seven points after the Cowboys looked great on offense in a 38-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Opening Lines vs. Current NFL Lines

There has been decent movement in the NFL lines for four games this Sunday. Tampa Bay was originally a pick ‘em against Atlanta before that line moved to Buccaneers -2.5, and Jacksonville is now a 10-point favorite after the opening line had the Jaguars favored by seven points against the Indianapolis Colts. We have also seen movement on the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.

What Can Move NFL Odds Before Kickoff?

Injuries are the main impetus behind line moves prior to kickoff, but weather can also be a factor. That’s especially the case later in the season when the likelihood of snow and wind increases. 

NFL Predictions for Today’s Games

Although Dallas has less rest than Arizona after playing on Monday night, I think the Cowboys will win by double digits on Sunday. That would be an easy cover per the NFL odds. Additionally, I will take the Over in this game given Dallas’ recent history and the play of both defenses.

Predictions for Today’s Top NFL Games

Even if Lamar Jackson does play, it’s hard to go against the Buffalo Bills at home as a short favorite per the NFL odds. This is likely to be a very high scoring football game if Jackson lines up under center, but the Bills are well-rested after a bye week and will likely have some new schemes ready for Baltimore.

Potential Upsets to Watch

Minnesota will be a popular upset pick as an unbeaten team, but the Vikings are very smoke and mirrors per the NFL stats. A better upset pick would be the Los Angeles Chargers who are coming off a bye week and will certainly have something different ready for the Los Angeles Rams.

NFL Betting Angles for Today

Road teams and underdogs are both covering the NFL odds at a high rate this season. The road teams are 62-45 (57.9%), and underdogs are 58-49 (54.2%). Accordingly, road dogs have thrived and are 38-25 (60.3%).

Final NFL Games Today Outlook

Dallas and the Over are the best bets on the NFL lines in the featured game. It’s tough to feel confident about what to expect in the NFL tonight given all that is happening with Philadelphia, but the Eagles might be worth a play on the moneyline considering the Washington Commanders are one of the worst NFL teams. 

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