With just four weeks left in the NFL regular season, games become increasingly important. One team that won’t be scrambling for a playoff ticket is the Dallas Cowboys, who have already clinched a berth. On Sunday, they head to Metlife Stadium to face the lone team that defeated them.
Game of the Week
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Favourite: Cowboys -3
With 11 straight wins under their belt, the Cowboys have been a huge success, but nonetheless, they’ll still have revenge on their minds when they face the New York Giants – the only team they’ve lost to this season. Dallas’ all-rookie backfield was a little green when they hosted the Giants in Week 1. Dak Prescott had a quarterback rating of 69.4, while Ezekiel Elliot rushed for just 51 yards. Both players have significantly improved, surpassing those stats in every game since then.
The Giants are 8-4 SU (6-5-1 ATS) after a 24-14 loss in Pittsburgh. They’ve worked their way through an easy schedule, which includes six wins against teams that currently have five wins or less. We’ll find out if they’re up to the challenge of a top-tier team on Sunday.
Game with the Biggest Spread
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
Favourite: Lions -9
The Bears are the biggest underdog of the week. On Sunday, they visit one of the hottest teams in the NFL: the Detroit Lions. After beating the New Orleans Saints 28-13 on the road, the Lions are 8-4 SU and ATS and have now won seven of their last eight games. They have a two-game lead over the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
The Bears are 0-6 on the road, so this game will be a challenge for them. To make matters worse, the Lions are a healthy 5-1 at home, allowing just 19.3 points per game there. Their defense has been very effective, which could cause issues for the Bears, who are starting their third-string quarterback Matt Barkley.
Game with the Smallest Spread
Arizona Cardinals @ Miami Dolphins
Favourite: Dolphins -1
Arizona has had a really rough time traveling to the East Coast for early starts, and they’ve got another one on tap this week. In Week 3, they lost 33-18 in Buffalo, and in Week 8, they had similar problems in Carolina losing 30-20, both games with 1 PM ET start times. The same thing happened in Week 11, when the Cards lost to the Vikings in Minnesota for a 1 PM game, and once again, they lost in Atlanta in the same time slot the following week. For whatever reason, early time slots seem to destroy the Cards.
As for Dolphins, they’re fresh off their worst loss of the season and will be happy to get back to Miami, where they’re 5-1 SU. They struggled against the NFL’s top overall defense last week in Baltimore and now host Arizona, who has the league’s second-ranked unit.
Both teams are in must-win situations, as they try to track down the final wild card spot in their respective conferences.
*Odds as of December 8, 2016