NFL Predictions Week 7: Dallas Cowboys Struggle Against the St. Louis Rams
Written by Matthew Regaw
Fri, 21 Oct 2011
Category sportsbook
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The Dallas Cowboys do not have a winning record and they are having a difficult start to the season. Supporters and fans of the team will point to close losses and a tough schedule as causing the the current record. The Cowboys are still predicted by many NFL experts to rebound and win the mediocre NFC East.
Jackson Will Run Wild At Dallas
That winning streak is supposed to start this week when the Cowboys play against the lowly St. Louis Rams. The NFL prediction for this week is that the Cowboys will struggle against the St. Louis Rams. The first indication of this is the NFL lines for week seven.
The Cowboys opened as 10.5 point favorites and the public money came pouring in on the home team. The oddsmakers had no problems opening the line up and jumping the key number and right now they are 14.5 point favorites. 75% of the betting public is pumping money in on the Boys to throttle the winless Rams, just another reason to think they can keep it close.
The Rams are desperate for a win. So desperate that despite a high ankle sprain, and a walking boot, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford will suit up and take the field. If Bradford is not ready AJ Feeley is capable of playing well. The Rams acquired Brandon Lloyd in a trade this week and he will pay dividends right away as he is very familiar with the offense and eager to prove he can be the main man. Stephen Jackson is healthy again and is quite capable of putting up a monster game against Dallas.
The Cowboys have gotten a pass because they have lost to some good teams, but in reality they are not winning because they are playing poorly. They have folded in the end of key games, have made suspect coaching decisions and have gotten inconsistent play from quarterback Tony Romo. In fact it could be said that the Cowboys have lost faith in Romo by not allowing him to try and get the first down late in the game against the Patriots. The Cowboys have a big injury on defense as DeMarcus Ware has an ailing back. The Cowboys should not be giving this many points to any team right now.
They also have a slew of trends that suggest a play against the Cowboys. The Cowboys are 1-7 against the spread (ATS) in their last 8 games as a home favorite, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater, and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games overall.
The Cowboys may win this game, but dropping this many points is a mistake. The Rams keep this game close and have a shot at pulling off the impossible, with an upset of Dallas.
NFL Predictions Week 7: Rams +14.5