Monday August 13 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders
The opening week of pre-season action is punctuated by an intriguing Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders Monday Nighter.
While the Raiders enter the new season hoping to land a playoff spot, the Cowboys are creeping into desperation mode as the window for their core group of talent is starting to close. It’s time for the Cowboys to be in the Super Bowl conversation in January, rather than only in August/September.
The NFL Odds at Pinnacle Sports currently have the Cowboys listed at 22-1 to win the Super Bowl.
Dallas brings back most of the key pieces to an offense that has the potential to be very explosive. QB Romo will be tossing the ball to the trio of Dez Bryant, Miles Austin and TE Jason Witten (but not tonight, as Bryant and Austin are injured). The secondary, an Achilles Heel all last year, has been improved, so it will be interesting to see if they can put it all together and finally back up all the talking owner Jerry Jones does.
Despite all the usual turnover and turmoil that follows the Raiders around, the vibe is actually optimistic around the franchise. The fact Carson Palmer is running your offense shouldn’t produce overly optimistic feelings, but he’s a nice upgrade for them at that position and they do have talented pieces around him (when they’re healthy…yes, you Darren McFadden).
When looking at pre-season matchups, you have to take a long look at the QB rotations, then go back and take a longer look.
The Cowboys will roll out veteran Kyle Orton after Romo guides a series (maybe two). He’ll be followed by Stephen McGee. For the Raiders it looks like a series or two for Palmer who will then make way for Matt Leinart, followed by Terrelle Pryor.
Looking at the current Cowboys vs. Raiders odds, Oakland is favored by 2 points and the Total is 35.
We have a lean to the home side Raiders as a small favorite, but we like the Over 35 a bit more. With the mix of QBs stepping behind center tonight and the battles for depth spots at WR for the Cowboys, plus the injury issues and lack of depth for both teams on the defensive side of the ball this early, we see all the QBs being able to put some points on the board.
Monday Night Picks: That leads us to an Over play.
Be sure to check out the Everyedge Sports Handicapping Forum for more picks and discussion on this game and the MLB card.
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