Game Time:  8:20 pm ET, Sunday, October 31st, 2021

Venue: 

Where to Watch:  NBC, Sunday Night Football

 

FanDuel:  Spread:  Vikings -3; Over/Under:  51.5 points

BetMGM:  Spread:  Vikings -3 Over/Under:  52.5 points

Caesars:  Spread:  Vikings -3 Over/Under:  52 points

 

Cowboys: 5-1, 1st place NFC East

Vikings: 3-3, 2nd place NFC North

The Dal Cowboys are enjoying a renaissance in the national spotlight.  They started the year with their training camp and preseason on Hard Knocks and everything seemed grim.  Mike McCarthy looked out of touch (quoting Austin powers to players who weren’t born yet when that movie came out).  Jerry Jones looked desperate (he will see the grave eventually and wants another Super Bowl NOW… and Dak Prescott looked hurt again.  Then the year started and the Cowboys lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers… but they played hard and kept it close.  They have had a five game win streak since and are coming off their bye week. The line moved on this game, initially the Cowboys were favored, to make the .500 Vikings the favorites…. That’s because Dak is rumored to have a calf strain that isn’t going away.  The Cowboys go as Dak does… if he is hobbled the Vikings are a safe bet.

The Vikings continue to puzzle the experts.  They win, they lose.. They play a good game… they play a bad game.  The Vikings odds would crash if quarterback Dak Prescott projected to be healthy (along with a few other Cowboys).  I’m not among the horde declaring this “Vikings week”... they have great wide receivers, Kirk Cousins can hit those wide receivers, but if Dak plays well?... How will the Vikings secondary stop CeeDee Lamb?  That’s a matchup that I prefer to Justin Jefferson over the Cowboys interception happy secondary (even with Kirk and his big arm).  However if Dak can’t play or is held out due to caution… It’s most likely the Vikings will win.

 

 

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The Dallas Cowboys currently have the top rated offense in the NFL.  They are scoring 34.2 ppg on 460.8 yards per game.  If Dak doesn’t play they could sustain losing 8-10 points and still beat Minnesota on average.

The Vikings are scoring 24.5 points a game on 414.2 ypg.  In both passing yards and rushing yards they are above league average.  The question is can Kirk get all his passes past Trevon Diggs.

The Dallas Cowboys defense is giving up 24 points per game on 381.2 yards per game.  They tend to win both shootouts and ground and pound games.  Dak does not play defense BTW.

The Minnesota Vikings defense is giving up 22.8 points per game on 358.3 yards per game. These numbers are fugazzi… two of their three wins have come against Detroit and Seattle who both scored a lousy 17 points… Is that good D or did they just play lousy O?

 

Our NFL Prediction for Sunday, October 31st is ... Cowboys 28 - Vikings 20

 

If the Cowboys end up starting Cooper Rush… I think we see a lot of Tony Pollard and still get a Cowboys win.  The Vikings have been known to drop really good chances.

 

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Dallas is 5-2 ATS when the total is greater or equal to 49.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Dallas is 6-0 ATS in all games this season.

Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in games where the total is greater or equal to 49.5

Minnesota is 2-6 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins.

 

Dallas:  QB Dak Prescott (calf) Probable ** WR Michael Gallup (calf) Quest ** 

Vikings: WR Dede Westbrook (ankle) Quest **  DT Michael Pierce (elbow) Quest 

 

Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott (Cooper Rush?), RB Ezekiel Elliot, WR Amari Cooper, WR Ceedee Lamb, WR Cedrick Wilson, TE Dalton Schultz, LT Ty Nsekhe, LG Connor Williams, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Zach Martin, RT Terrence Steele

Vikings: QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Adam Thielen, Wr K.J. Osborn, TE Tyler Conklin, LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Ezra Cleveland, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Olisaemeka Udoh, RT Brian O’Neill

 

 

Cowboys

Passing Yards: Dak Prescott 1,813

Rushing Yards: Ezekiel Elliott 521

Receiving Yards: CeeDee lamb 497

Tackles: Javon Kearse 39

Interceptions: Trevon Diggs 7 (7 INTS!!, Stephon Diggs little brother!!)  (This is a defensive star!!)

 

Vikings

Passing Yards: Kirk Cousins 1,769

Rushing Yards: Dalvin Cook 366

Receiving Yards: Justin Jefferson 542

Tackles: Eric Kendricks 60

Interceptions: Bashaud Breeland 1

 

Coaches:

Dallas:  Mike McCarthy

Minnesota: Mike Zimmer

 

Partly Cloudy.  Humidity 53%. Wind at 16mph.  45* for the high.  It will start getting deeply cold in Minnesota this time of year.