by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2021
Game Time: 8:20 pm ET, Sunday, December 26, 2021
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Where to Watch: NBC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: WFT +10.5, Cowboys -10.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: WFT +10.5, Cowboys -10.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: WFT +10.5, Cowboys -10.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Season Record
Washington Football Team: 6-8 (3rd place, NFC East)
Dallas Cowboys: 10-4 (1st place, NFC East)
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Washington Football Team vs Dallas Cowboys Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Washington Football Team: lost on the road on Dec. 21 against the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17.
Dallas Cowboys: won on the road on Dec. 19 against the New York Giants 21-6.
Washington Football Team Analysis
WFT is coming into this game with a 6-8 record overall and they are 3-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This is their 4th divisional matchup of the year and they are currently 1-2 in their division games this season, including a loss to the Cowboys at home earlier in the season already. Their last win was against the Las Vegas Raiders but they have gone on a 2 game losing streak since then with losses coming against the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles in their last game. Taylor Heinicke was out due to covid-19 in that one so Garrett Gilbert was the starting quarterback for them and he completed 20/31 passes for 194 yards. Antonio Gibson led the team in rushing with 26 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 carries while Jaret Patterson had 20 yards and 1 touchdown on 4 carries. Terry McLaurin led the receivers with 51 yards on 2 receptions while Gibson led the team in receptions with 6 for 39 yards receiving. Jeremy Reaves led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles and 3 assisted ones. Jonathan Allen, Bunmi Rotimi, and Montez Sweat all recorded the only sacks in that game with 1 each while Landon Collins was the only one to come up with an interception for them in that one. They have scored 266 points in their 14 games this season averaging 19 PPg and they have allowed their opponents to score 324 points against them allowing 23.1 PPG. Their offense is averaging 312.2 YPG while their defense is allowing 327.5 YPG.
Dallas Cowboys Analysis
The Cowboys are coming into this game with a 10-4 record overall and they are 4-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 5th divisional matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 4-0 in their division games this season, and they have a chance to clinch their division with a win in this game. Their last loss was against the Las Vegas Raiders but they have gone on a 3 game winning streak since then with wins coming against the New Orleans Saints, the Washington Football Team, and the New York Giants in their last game. Dak Prescott completed 28/37 passes for 217 yards and 1 touchdown in that one. Tony Pollard led the team in rushing with 74 yards on 12 carries while Ezekiel Elliott had 52 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries. Dalton Schultz led the receivers with 67 yards and 1 touchdown on 8 receptions while CeeDee Lamb had 50 yards on 6 receptions. Malik Hooker led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted one. Neville Gallimore and Dorance Armstrong Jr. both combined for the only sack in that game while Hooker, Trevon Diggs, and Jourdan Lewis all came up with 1 interception each in that one. They have scored 401 points in their 14 games this season averaging 28.6 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 293 points against them allowing 20.1 PPG. Their offense is averaging 403.3 YPG while their defense is allowing 356.9 YPG.
Washington vs Cowboys Prediction
WFT is coming into this game as a 10.5 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. WFT has been playing well in recent games but they have hit a snag in their last 2. One of those losses was against these Cowboys and they started that game off bad down 20-0 but they managed to come back and cover the spread with a 7 point loss. The Cowboys have been winning games recently but they have not been playing that well in those games. Their offense has been stunted in their last few and they have not scored 30 points or more in any of their last 3 games and those were all teams that they could have easily done that on. This is a division rivalry and with the playoffs still on the line and a slight chance to make it still, WFT will get up for this game and play hard in it. WFT was also missing some players in their last game and still played well but there is a possibility those players will be back for this game which will just strengthen their team. The best bet to place in this game is on WFT to cover the spread here.
Washington Cowboys Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, December 26, 2021 (8:20 pm ET start time) is Cowboys 24 WFT 17.
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NFL Betting Trends
Washington Football Team: 19-26 O/U in all games. 16-22 O/U as an underdog. 19-26 O/U as a road underdog of 7.5 to 14 points. 4-7 O/U in December games. 3-6 O/U in the last 4 weeks of the regular season. 9-23 O/U after the first month of the season.
Dallas Cowboys: 11-3 ATS in all games. 8-2 ATS as a favorite. 4-2 ATS as a home favorite. 4-2 ATS in home games. 9-0 ATS against conference opponents. 6-3 ATS when playing with 6 or less days rest. 9-2 ATS in games played on turf. 8-3 ATS in December games. 8-2 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread. 10-2 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better.
Key Injuries
Washington Football Team: T. Heinicke (QB) Out indefinitely - Knee injury. K. Fuller (CB) Out indefinitely - Illness. C. Samuel (WR) Ques Sun - Groin injury. J. McKissic (RB) Out indefinitely - Concussion.
Dallas Cowboys: D. Wilson (S) Ques Sun - Shoulder injury. T. Smith (T) Ques Sun - Ankle injury. W. Grier (QB) Out indefinitely - Knee injury.
Notable Quotes
"It was unacceptable how they were running around." - Montez Sweat on the performance of their defense in their loss against the Eagles in their last game.
"It's amazing just to be on a team with a strong defense. It doesn't get any better than that." DeMarcus Lawrence on their defense this season after a win against the Giants in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Washington Football Team
WR Terry McLaurin
WR Humphries, Adam
WR Sims, Cam
TE Bates, John
QB Heinicke, Taylor
RB Gibson, Antonio
Dallas Cowboys
WR Amari Cooper
WR CeeDee Lamb
WR Gallup, Michael
TE Schultz, Dalton
QB Prescott, Dak
RB Elliott, Ezekiel
Statistical Leaders
Washington Football Team
Passing: T. Heinicke (2931)
Rushing: A. Gibson (862)
Receiving: T. McLaurin (859)
Touchdowns: A. Gibson (8)
Dallas Cowboys
Passing: D. Prescott (3598)
Rushing: E. Elliott (862)
Receiving: C. Lamb (940)
Touchdowns: E. Elliott (10)
Coaches:
Washington Football Team: Ron Rivera (2nd season)
Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy (2nd season)
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
