A best bet for Thursday’s matchup between the Titans and Cowboys. Dallas is a double-digit road favorite.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys head to Nashville in Week 17 for a showdown with the Titans on Thursday Night Football.
Tennessee went 7-1 straight up (SU) and 8-0 against the spread (ATS) from Weeks 3-11 and aims to snap a recent five-game losing skid in prime-time. The Titans are 0-4-1 ATS over their losing streak and have failed to post solid production on the offensive side of the ball, averaging a dismal 15.2 points per game since Week 12.
Dallas will try to notch its sixth win in its last seven games when it heads to Nissan Stadium. The Cowboys, fresh off their best win of the season last week against the Eagles, are expected to roll against a struggling Tennessee squad.
The Cowboys will look to improve upon their stellar road record of 11-4 ATS (73.3%) over their last 15 road games. Dallas has been a great team for bettors to back in regards to game totals. Mike McCarthy’s club has posted a lucrative 7-1 mark to the over in the last eight games.
Cowboys Straight-Up Record: 11-4
Cowboys Against the Spread Record: 9-6
Titans Straight-Up Record: 7-8
Titans Against the Spread Record: 8-6-1
The line has ticked up to since opening at SI Sportsbook with Dallas as a 10-point favorite over the Titans. The total dropped from the opening number of 42.5 to 40.
The Cowboys rank third in scoring (28.9 points per game) and should find success against a Titans’ pass defense that ranks 31st in yards allowed per game (279.6).
Prescott has led the Cowboys to seven wins in nine games since his return from thumb surgery, completing 69% of his passes while throwing 20 touchdowns. His efforts have the club in the running for one of the top seeds in the NFC playoffs.
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have combined for 23 touchdowns and will face a stout Titans’ defense that ranks second in the NFL by yielding an average of 80.1 rushing yards per game and has allowed only six touchdowns to running backs.
CeeDee Lamb, who ranks seventh among all wideouts in receptions (91) and fifth in touchdowns (8), finds a favorable matchup against a Titans’ defense that has allowed 19 touchdowns to wide receivers.
The Cowboy’s defense, led by Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, ranks third in the NFL in sacks (49). Facing a ferocious Dallas pass rush, rookie Malik Willis, who has been sacked 10 times in limited game action, faces a stiff test against a Cowboys defense surrendering the sixth-fewest points per game (20.2).
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The Titans have simply become one dimensional without starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle). Willis is only completing 50.8% of his passes, while failing to top 99 passing yards or throw any touchdowns.
Tennessee, as expected, has leaned heavily on Derrick Henry, who ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,429) while adding the second-most rushing touchdowns (13). Henry has topped 100 yards in three consecutive games while scoring in each of those games and should post solid production against a Dallas defense that ranks 22nd against the rush and yields 130 rushing yards per game.
Respected money believes a surging Cowboys club should find success Thursday and continue its push for a top seed in the playoffs. Dallas is an outstanding road team, covering the spread at a 73.3% clip away from Jerry’s World.
Despite needing the win to keep pace with the surging Jaguars in the AFC South, the Titans simply do not have enough firepower to keep pace with the high-powered Cowboys. Lay the wood.
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2022 SI Betting Thursday Night Football: 23-31-1+ Props -4.15 U
2021 SI Betting Monday Night Football: 25-20 ATS + Props +5.75 U
2021 SI Betting Playoffs: 8-7-1 ATS + Prop Wagers +4.00 U
2021 SI Betting NFL: 53-44-1 ATS + Props +14.22 U
2020 SI Betting NFL: 72-58-1 ATS (55%)
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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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