Week 9 of the NFL season concludes with a Monday night game between the Dallas Cowboy and Tennessee Titans. Game time is at 8:15 EST on Monday, November 5, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN.
The Cowboys opened the week as 4-point favorites. However, that line has grown significantly with Dallas now favored by 6.5 points. The over/under for the game is set at 40.5 points. Click here to see a full list of NFL betting odds and game preview for Week 9.
The Cowboys have spent all season trading off wins and losses, making them the most consistently inconsistent team in football. As a result, they currently sit at 3-4, two full games back of the Redskins, the team they lost to two weeks ago prior to their bye week. The good news is that the Cowboys aren’t out of contention yet. Well, at least they don’t think so after trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper during their bye week.
Of course, if the Cowboys are going to make a playoff push, it has to start now. Losing this week and dropping to 3-5 would be tough to overcome, especially with road games against the Eagles and Falcons the next two weeks. It’s also worth noting that the Cowboys will play four games in an 18-day span between now and Thanksgiving. It’s safe to say those 18 days will define their season.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is also in dire straights heading into Monday’s game. The last time we saw the Titans, they missed a last-minute 2-point conversion in London to suffer their third straight loss. For better or worse, they’ve had two full weeks to reflect on that three-game losing streak and try to find some answers.
On a positive note, the Titans also had a three-game winning streak earlier in the season. At least we know that they’re capable of playing better than they showed for much of October. They are also just one game behind Houston in the loss column for the top spot in the AFC South. The profound mediocrity inside that division gives Tennessee a glimmer of hope. However, that hope will be easily lost if the Titans can’t snap their losing streak soon.
For the record, I’m a little uncomfortable with a line this high for a game involving the Cowboys. They aren’t the kind of team that you’d assume can cover nearly a touchdown with ease. That being said, the Cowboys are 3-0 at home and the Titans have been downright awful over the past month. I’ll take my chances with Dallas being able to win by a touchdown and covering the spread.
I know the Titans have had two weeks to sort things out, but I can’t get over how bad their offense has been this season. There’s only one game this season in which Tennessee has scored more than 20 points, and it only happened in that game because that game went to overtime. Obviously, we all expected more out of Marcus Mariota in his fourth season. But it’s not all on him. The backfield tandem of Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry has also underperformed all year.
There may have been a few positive signs last time out when the Titans scored 19 points against the Chargers. But I’m not going to get too excited with Tennessee set to face one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Cowboys are second in the NFL in points allowed this season. The Dallas defense is getting the job done against both the run and the pass. Against the Titans, it’s hard to see the Cowboys giving much ground. I wouldn’t even rule out a shutout, especially if Dallas can force a couple of turnovers.
Of course, on the off chance the Cowboys don’t keep a shutout, the Dallas offense is going to have to show something in order to cover the spread. That will be easier said than done. The Tennessee defense has been nearly as good as the Dallas defense. Both are giving up around 18 points per game. The Cowboys should face a fair amount of resistance on Monday night.
However, with the acquisition of Cooper, there is renewed hope for the Cowboys on offense. Whether Cooper and Dak Prescott have any chemistry right off the bat remains to be seen. But Cooper’s mere presence changes the way teams will have to approach the Dallas offense.
Opposing defenses can no longer focus solely on stopping Ezekiel Elliott and the running game. Even with teams showing the Dallas passing game little respect, the Cowboys are one of the best running teams in football. With Cooper getting a fair amount of attention, things should open up even more for Elliott and Prescott on the ground.
Admittedly, there is some level of risk by picking the Cowboys to cover 6.5 points. However, the ineptness of the Titans on offense makes it a distinct possibility. I’m confident that the Dallas defense will have a strong outing. As long as the Cowboys can move the ball on offense with some consistency, I feel good about their chances to cover the spread.