Washington Commanders vs

Dallas Cowboys Prediction

Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys Prediction

The Dallas Cowboys will spend their Thanksgiving Day entertaining the Washington Football Team in a pivotal NFC East showdown. Game time is at 4:30 EST on Thursday, November 26, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Right now, the Cowboys are favored by three points at home with the over/under listed at 46.5 points. Keep reading to take a closer look at both teams to help with your Cowboys vs Washington prediction against the spread.

Dallas Cowboys Preview

The Cowboys are very much alive in the NFC East race after they came out on top in a back-and-forth game against the Vikings last week. The 31-28 win snapped a four-game losing streak that included a humiliating 25-3 loss in Washington. The win made the Cowboys 3-7, putting them in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East, half a game behind the 3-6-1 Eagles. At this point, all four teams have a fighting chance to win the division, making Thursday’s game a pivotal game in the race for a playoff spot.

Last week’s win coincided with the return of Andy Dalton, who missed time due to both a concussion he suffered against Washington and time spent on the COVID list. While Dalton didn’t blow anyone away with his performance, he finished the game with three touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 1:37 left on the clock. The Cowboys will never be able to match what they did early in the season with Dak Prescott. But if Dalton can maintain that same level of play, Dallas will have a viable offense. Keep in mind that the Cowboys have no shortage of capable playmakers, including Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, and emerging rookie CeeDee Lamb, so they’re capable of scoring points if they get decent quarterback play.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it’s on the defensive side of the ball where there isn’t much hope. Despite the win over Minnesota, the Dallas defense conceded over 100 rushing yards to Dalvin Cook and over 300 passing yards to Kirk Cousins. The silver lining is the Cowboys forced two turnovers that helped to save them. Nevertheless, the Cowboys have the worst defensive record in football and have allowed a minimum of 23 points every game outside of Week 1. In other words, the Dallas offense has to be at the top of its game for the Cowboys to win.

Washington Commanders Preview

At 3-7, Washington is in the same position as Dallas. Against all odds, Ron Rivera’s team is just half a game behind the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. Washington also scored a massive win last week, knocking off the Bengals 20-9 after back-to-back heartbreaking losses to the Giants and Lions. Washington’s problem is they face the Steelers, 49ers, and Seahawks in each of the next three weeks, making this week’s trip to Dallas a must-win to stay alive in the NFC East race.

Washington’s last five games have either been wins or close defeats, and quarterback Alex Smith is the biggest reason why. He gives the Washington offense a proven veteran at quarterback who appears to be as healthy as can be expected after his devastating knee injury two years ago. Washington has also started to get a little more from Antonio Gibson and the running game. Gibson rushed for 128 yards against the Cowboys last month and 94 yards last week against the Bengals. He also has five rushing touchdowns in his last four games, providing the Washington offense with some much-needed balance.

Meanwhile, the Washington defense is trying to hold its own. Over the last five games, Washington is giving up just 17 points per game. To be fair, that stretch includes two games with the Giants, as well as last week’s game with the Bengals in which Joe Burrow was hurt. However, the Washington defense is performing better against the run, which is a step in the right direction and will be critical against the Cowboys on Thursday.

Full Game Prediction

Ultimately, this game could come down to Dalton’s performance. The Cowboys looked like a different team last week when he at least gave them a solid game manager. With the way Smith is playing, the Dallas defense isn’t likely to win the game. However, the Cowboys have the superior playmakers. It’s just a matter of Dalton being able to use them.

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