The Dallas Cowboys have been dealing with COVID-related absences in recent weeks and head coach Mike McCarthy is among those impacted along with standout receiver Amari Cooper.
The New Orleans Saints have lost their last four games and are in danger of missing the playoff for the first time since 2016. Injuries have played a key role in some of the struggles for the Saints. Already without star receiver Michael Thomas for the entire season, New Orleans didn’t have top running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram for the last game The offensive and defensive lines have been riddled with injuries.
The Dallas Cowboys lead the NFL in total offense and second in scoring but could have key offensive players either missing or limited in the Thursday night game.
- Game: Dallas Cowboys (7-4) at New Orleans Saints (5-6)
- Location: Caesars Superdome
- Day/Time: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET
- Television: FOX/NFL Network
Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
| Dallas Cowboys | -4½ (-110) | -210 | 47½( -110o) |
| New Orleans Saints | +4½ (-110) | +175 | 47½ (-110u) |
Head-to-Head
The last two meetings have been surprisingly low-scoring affairs.
In the 2019 meeting, the visiting Dallas Cowboys were listed by the NFL betting lines as 2½-point favorites against the New Orleans Saints.
Dallas had the only touchdown on Ezekiel Elliott’s one-yard run midway through the third quarter, but four field goals by Wil Lutz gave New Orleans the 12-10 win as the Dallas Cowboys failed to cover for the fifth time in the last seven meetings. Both teams were held under 300 yards of total offense.
The visiting New Orleans Saints were favored by 7½ points when the teams played in 2018. A touchdown catch from Elliott and a pair of field goals gave Dallas the 13-0 lead in the first half.
A Drew Brees touchdown pass pulled New Orleans within three points late in the third quarter but that was all the scoring in the Cowboys’ 13-10 win.
Both of the games went well under the totals as each of the last three meetings between the teams went under.
Dallas Cowboys
Next game: at Washington
Last Game
The Dallas Cowboys were seven-point favorites against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders according to the NFL picks against the spread. After being held to three field goals in its last game, it didn’t take long for the Dallas offense to get going, but the defense allowed the Raiders to score on three of their first four drives to take an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Dallas tied the game twice in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. Dalton Schultz’s touchdown catch and ensuing two-point conversion catch made it 30-30 with 2:54 to play. After a field goal gave the lead back to Las Vegas, Greg Zuerlein forced overtime with a field goal as time expired.
The Raiders would win and send Dallas to its second loss in a row with a field goal with 4;28 left in overtime.
The game went well over the 51-point total.
Injury Report
Running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee), receiver CeeDee Lamb (concussion), defensive ends Tarell Basham (chest) and Demarcus Lawrence (foot) are probable. Receiver Amari Cooper (illness) and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (elbow) are questionable. Defensive tackle Trysten Hill (suspension) is out. Defensive end Randy Gregory (calf), tight end Blake Jarwin (hip) are on injured reserve.
Mike McCarthy updates Cowboys WR Amari Cooper’s status vs. Saints; Nahshon Wright tests positive https://t.co/Ta67jATiv6
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) December 1, 2021
New Orleans Saints
Next game: at New York Jets
Last Game
The New Orleans Saints were listed by the Las Vegas odds as seven-point favorites against the visiting Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half as the Bills jumped out to the 24-0 lead.
A Trevor Siemian touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter accounted for all of the scoring for the Saints in the 31-6 loss. New Orleans was held to 190 yards of offense.
The game finished under the 45-point total.
Injury Report
Running back Mark Ingram (knee), quarterback Taysom Hill (foot) and linebacker Andrew Dowdell (concussion) are expected to play. Offensive tackles Terron Armstead (knee) and Ryan Ramczyk (knee), running back Alvin Kamara (knee), defensive ends Marcus Davenport (shoulder), Tanoh Kpassagnon (ankle) and Payton Turner (shoulder), linebacker Kaden Ellis (hamstring) are questionable. Linebacker Kaden Elliss (hamstring), safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (foot) and offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge (arm) are out.
Betting on the Game
Defensive rookie of the Year front-runner Micah Parsons leads the Dallas Cowboys with nine sacks and is going against a New Orleans team dealing with injuries on its offensive line.
The matchup between New Orleans cornerback Marcus Lattimore (11 pass breakups) and Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb (740 receiving yards) could be worth the price of admission.
The Cowboys have failed to cover against the scores and odds in three of the last four games after having a streak of seven straight games covering against the spread. Dallas is 4-10 against the spread in its last 14 games against New Orleans.
Dallas has won three of its last four road games and covered in three of those games.
Four of the Cowboys’ last five games have gone under the total while four of New Orleans’ last five games have gone over the total.
Dallas has won its last five games against NFC opponents and holds a two-game lead in the NFC East even after dropping the last two games.
Dallas has covered in only one of its last nine games road games against New Orleans.
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