The Ravens will travel south to take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Dallas is coming off its eighth straight victory, while the Ravens are clinging to a one game lead in the NFC North. This game will kick off at 1:00 PM. ET.
Last Sunday, the Cowboys traveled to Pittsburgh and to take on the Steelers. It was not a disappointing game. For the first time this season, a game featured seven lead changes. It was truly a back and forth affair. The Cowboys ultimately won the contest with a decisive run from Ezekiel Elliot. After that victory, the Cowboys now find themselves atop many power rankings as the best team in the NFL. Indeed, winning eight straight is no small feat. Now, for the second week in a row, the Ravens will have to face a battle tested opponent from the AFC North.
The Ravens’ roller coaster season continues this week in Dallas. Last week, the Ravens played the Browns on Thursday Night Football, and like most teams this season, they destroyed the Browns. Ravens quarterback, Joe Flacco is currently in the mist of his worst season. On the year, Flacco has nine touchdowns and nine interceptions according to NFL Stats. While he’s completing 63.5 percent of his passes, he’s only averaging 6.3 yards per completion. Flacco isn’t the only person on the Ravens’ offense to blame, but his struggles are certainly something to watch.
Baltimore leads the AFC North and it’s entirely because of their defensive play. The Ravens led the league in fewest yards per game according to NFL Stats. In comparison, Dallas ranks 12th in fewest yards per game. Baltimore’s defense ranks in a tie for third for fewest points per game, they’ve only allowed on average 17.8 points per game according to NFL Stats. For comparison, the Cowboys rank eighth in points per game with an average of 18.9.
With two stout defenses going against each other, this game might have the making of an all out defensive battle; However, if one team is to break out of their offensive doldrums, it’s more than likely Dallas. Offensively, the Ravens are in the bottom half of the league. In terms of total yards, Baltimore ranks 25th with 333 yards of total offense per game according to NFL Stats. The Cowboys, however, rank third in total offense with 413 yards of total offense per game.
One interesting note is that both these teams dominate in time of possession. The Cowboys rank 1st in the NFL in time of possession, while Baltimore ranks 5th according to NFL Stats. However, one area where the Ravens struggle is third down conversions. Dallas ranks fourth in third down conversions, while Baltimore ranks 30th in the league according to NFL Stats. It’s hard to win in consistently in the NFL when teams don’t convert on third downs.
The most exciting matchup in this game is the Cowboys rushing attack against the Ravens rushing defense. The Cowboys rank 1st in rushing with 161 yards per game according to NFL Stats. Ezekiel Elliot leads the Cowboys’ rushing attack; He’s averaging 111.7 yards per game according to NFL Stats. He also has 9 rushing touchdowns on the season. The Cowboys will try to ride Elliott into the teeth of the Ravens defense. The Ravens rank 1st in rushing defense, allowing 71.3 rushing yards per game, according to NFL Stats. They’ve only allowed four rushing touchdowns all season. Their 3.3 yards per rush is the fewest allowed in the NFL this season.
Cowboys Vs Ravens Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Steelers favored to win the game by 7 points. The over/under on total points scored is 45. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
The Cowboys have never won nine straight games in a season. The Ravens defense will present a real challenge to the Cowboys offense. Baltimore started the season with three straight victories before losing four straight. They’re now on a modest two game winning streak. While Baltimore’s defense will frustrate Dallas, expect the Cowboys to find a rhythm offensively to overcome the Ravens to seal the victory.
Play: Cowboys -7 @ BetOnline.ag
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