NFL Thanksgiving Preview: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
Added on Nov 24, 2010 by Jack Thurman in
2 Comments
The Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints should be the best game of the three scheduled for Thursday. That fact is somewhat surprising given the Cowboys’ now infamous struggles this season but the team has shown renewed competitive fire under interim coach Jason Garrett. The Saints are rounding into form after a sluggish start and are now looking like a team that could potentially defend their Superbowl championship.
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
November 24, 2010 1:15 PM Pacific
The Dallas Cowboys are now trying to finish strong as they try to salvage a monumentally disappointing season season. For that reason they’re likely ‘circling’ this game and are anxious to give a strong showing on national TV as they welcome the defending Super Bowl champs to the opulent Cowboys’ Stadium. The Cowboys’ nosedive has been the biggest story of this NFL season but the team has two victories under interim head coach Jason Garrett. The Saints have regained much of their championship level form in recent weeks and enter this contest on a three game winning streak.
For Dallas, there’s finally a ‘silver lining’ to this dark cloud of a season due to the team’s response to interim coach Jason Garrett. The fiery and intelligent Garrett is a diametric opposite to Wade Phillips, who spent much of the season on the sidelines with an almost comically befuddled look on his face. Under Phillips, Dallas was 1-7 SU/ATS and looked like they were ‘playing not to lose’. Since Garrett took the reins the Cowboys are 2-0 SU/ATS and are playing with intensity and purpose. There are rumors afoot that Jerry Jones has been so impressed with Garrett’s leadership that he could possibly be hired as the team’s permanent head coach before the end of the season.
New Orleans is 7-3 SU but 5-5 ATS and are in a tough fight in the NFC South the improved Atlanta Falcons who lead the division with an 8-2 record and also the plucky Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have improbably scrapped their way to a 7-3 record and a second place tie . New Orleans is on a three game SU/ATS winning streak and after an inconsistent start to the season is playing their best football of the year.
From a pointspread standpoint, you can make a case for both teams. New Orleans has been a very successful road favorite in recent years—they’re currently on a 13-3 SU/12-2-2 ATS run as road favorites of -3’ or less. They’ve also dominated in head to head play in the past few seasons—Saints are currently on a 5-2 SU/6-1 ATS run against the Cowboys including a 2-0 SU/ATS mark in Dallas. The Cowboys did win and cover at New Orleans last season. On the downside, however, is the Saints’ 6-13 ATS mark in their last 19 games against NFC opponents.
Dallas has won and covered 6 straight games against the NFC South, and this is one of their biggest games of the season. In their last appearance on a nationally televised prime time game they were humiliated in that 45-7 beatdown by the Green Bay Packers. With jobs on the line for both players and coaches, a strong showing in this high profile spot will make a compelling case to Jones who has made no secret of the fact that he’s going to be making personnel decisions based on individual performances down the stretch. He knows that the playoffs are out of reach, but he’s looking for players that show pride and competitive spirit.
This should easily be the most entertaining and competitive game of the day and with all due respect to the Saints we’ve got to take the points with the motivated home team who have shown a lot of pride under Garrett. We’ll gladly back Dallas as home underdogs.
Bet Dallas Cowboys +4 over New Orleans Saints
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November 24, 4:20 pm
BOOOOO!!!!!!!!
WHO DAT
November 25, 9:09 am
For my purposes I’d be perfectly happy with a 1 point Saints victory