Steelers Cowboys Odds
Posted by Steve Janus - Google+
This Sunday the Dallas Cowboys will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial non-conference matchup between two teams fighting for a playoff spot in their respective conferences. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 EST at Cowboys Stadium and will be televised locally on CBS. Oddsmakers currently have Pittsburgh favored by 1-point with the total set at 44 points.
Why Pittsburgh Will Cover:
The Steelers are coming off an embarrassing 24-34 home loss to the Chargers as a 7-point favorite. Pittsburgh has now lost three of four and are in danger of missing the playoffs.
Pittsburgh is one team you can feel confident backing in a spot where they desperately need a win. They did just that a couple weeks ago when they went on the road and upset division rival Baltimore without Ben Roethlisberger. You have to wonder if they didn’t invest so much into beating the Ravens that they simply didn’t have anything left in the tank for the Chargers.
The Cowboys recent surge has created a buzz in Dallas. They have won four of five, but two victories came against the lackluster Eagles and another came in overtime at home against the Browns. They were extremely fortunate to beat the Bengals last week, as Cincinnati had to settle four four field goals and outgained Dallas by almost 50 yards.
I just don’t know if you can trust Dallas, especially at home. The Cowboys are just 3-3 at home this season with all three losses coming against top level opponents in the Bears, Giants and Redskins.
Why Dallas Will Cover:
The Cowboys improved to 7-6 with that late come-from-behind win over the Bengals last weekend. Dallas has had their struggles late in the season over recent years, but seem to be making the most of their opportunities in 2012. There’s no question the Cowboys come into this game playing with a lot more confidence than they have all season, while Pittsburgh seems to be hit or miss.
Dallas matches up well defensively with the Steelers. The strength of the Pittsburgh offense is a passing attack that ranks 11th in the NFL at 243.2 ypg, as their rushing attack comes in 25th at jut 98.6 ypg. The Cowboys have the 8th best pass defense in the NFL, allowing just 217.8 ypg.
The one big concern with the Cowboys heading into this game is that starting wide out Dez Bryant will not be available due to a finger injury. That’s definitely a big loss for Dallas, but quarterback Tony Romo still has a couple of key playmakers in wide out Miles Austin and tight end Jason Witten. We have also seen Kevin Ogletree step up and make plays when needed this season. The big key to this game will be whether or not running back DeMaro Murray can have any success against a very talented Steelers run defense.
While the Cowboys haven’t been great at home of late, there is reason to believe they will show up and get the job done on Sunday. Dallas is 31-13 ATS in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games since 1992.
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