NFL 2017 Week 3 Cardinals vs Cowboys Betting Pick

By NFL

On Monday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) will travel to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to take on the Cardinals (1-1).  This Monday Night Football matchup will kick off at 8:30 PM/ET.

Heading into week three, the Cardinals and Cowboys have had an up and down start to their seasons. To this point, they’ve both beaten up on weaker opponents in victory, while also falling prey to superior challengers.

The Cardinals lost their star running back, David Johnson, to injury in their week one loss to Detroit. Last week against the Colts, the Cardinals bounced back and pulled out a victory in overtime. The win came against a depleted Indianapolis Colts team playing without Andrew Luck.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys started their season with a resounding victory at home against the Giants. However, the Giants offensive ineptitude made the Cowboys appear better than they are. Against the Broncos in week two, Denver absolutely annihilated the Cowboys. After the loss, many in the media criticized the team’s effort, including star running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Dak Prescott

The Good & The Bad: The Roller Coaster Cowboys

After Dallas’ week one victory over the Giants, the Cowboys looked like the team ready to make the next step. Unfortunately, it looks like Dallas missed a step and then face planted into their week two matchup with Denver. The Broncos have a great defense, so it’s no surprise that the Cowboys lost, but, the way in which they lost was surprising. The game wasn’t even close. A loss this bad only happens when there’s a lack of effort. The Cowboys just didn’t show up, and the Denver offense looked like Peyton Manning was under center instead of Trevor Siemian.

The Good: Jason Witten at 35 years old is still a beast. Against the Broncos, the tight end caught 10 passes on 13 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown on the day. He’s been Prescott’s best weapon in the passing game, and he’s among the most consistent tight ends in the league.

The Bad: There’s a lot of bad from week two. Dak Prescott out-rushed Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott rushed for 24 yards on three carries, while Elliott rushed nine times for a grand total of eight yards. A bigger concern for the Cowboys, however, is Prescott. In 2016, according to NFL Stats, Prescott completed 67 percent of his passes and had only four interceptions to go along with 23 touchdowns. This season, through two games, Prescott is completing only 60 percent of his passes and has already thrown two interceptions to only three touchdowns. While it’s still early in the season, it’s worth keeping an eye on this trend as the season progresses.

The Good & The Bad: The Cardinals’ Clipped Wings

With the injury to David Johnson, the Cardinals offense has halted. Their entire offense relies on having Johnson’s dynamic running ability involved in both the ground and passing attack. Without Johnson, Arizona has to rely on a cast of aging players, while trying to get their less experienced and untested players more involved in the offense.

The Good: The Cardinals needed overtime to grind out their first win of the season. The victory came against a Colts team playing without their star quarterback, Andrew Luck; which makes the three-point victory and need for overtime a red flag. Still, a victory is a victory.

The Bad: The Cardinals don’t look like a football team heading anywhere. Carson Palmer has been a turnover machine. Through two weeks, Palmer has thrown for four interceptions to two touchdowns.

The Cardinals rely heavily on Palmer to pass the ball because their rushing attack is non-existent. According to NFL Stats, through two weeks, the Cardinals’ rank 30th in terms of rushing yards per game. The lack of a rushing attack and the need to rely heavily on Carson Palmer is going to lead to more turnovers for the interception happy veteran.

Cardinals vs Cowboys Betting Lines

BetOnline.ag has the Cowboys favored to win the game by 3 points. The over/under on total points scored is 47.  You can read our full BetOnline review here.

My Pick

The Cowboys have the better overall team. Their lopsided loss to Denver in week two is a much-needed wakeup call. The Cowboys have a lot of youth and talent and that kind of inexperience often leads to a lack of focus. Expect the Cowboys to come into this week determined and focused to get the victory.

Play: Cowboys -3 @ BetOnline.ag


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