Cardinals-Cowboys Betting Preview: Trends, Props, Pick For Monday Night Game

It’s a new world for the Dallas Cowboys.

Andy Dalton will get a chance to resurrect his career beginning Monday night when he leads the Cowboys into battle against the Arizona Cardinals in the second game of an NFL double header.

The Cowboys hope the former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback can keep the season afloat after Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury a week ago. Dalton’s first test is a tough one, as he’ll likely be tasked with keeping pace against a high-powered Cardinals offense.

Here’s our betting preview for Cardinals-Cowboys.

Arizona Cardinals at (-1) Dallas Cowboys
Total: 55

BETTING TRENDS
First, a quick note on the line. Arizona actually opened as a consensus 2.5-point favorite — in the wake of Prescott’s injury — but the line has moved all the way over to Dallas laying the single point.

As mentioned, Arizona is actually the underdog at this point, but had it stuck as the favorite, it would have been the third time already this season the Cardinals were road favorites. They’re 1-1 in those games thus far, beating the Jets (and covering) last week after losing outright to the Panthers the week before.

The Cowboys might be due. Historically a public darling, Dallas is 0-5 against the spread to open the season. The total of 55 points might seem ridiculously high, but the over has cashed in four of the Cowboys’ five games this season. Mike McCarthy’s team entered the week with the 26th-ranked defense by both DVOA and EPA allowed. Dallas and Arizona also have the first- and fifth-fastest offenses by pace of play, respectively, so expect a whole lot of plays to be run.

PROPS

First-half line, total
Dallas -0.5, 27.5

First touchdown scorer
Ezekiel Elliott +450
Kenyan Drake +650
DeAndre Hopkins +950
Amari Cooper +1100
Kyler Murray +1100
CeeDee Lamb +1400

Passing yards
Kyler Murray over/under 286.5 yards
Andy Dalton over/under 289.5 yards

Rushing yards
Kenyan Drake over/under 59.5 rushing yards
Ezekiel Elliott over/under 89.5 rushing yards
Kyler Murray over/under 42.5 rushing yards

Receiving yards
DeAndre Hopkins over/under 85.5 receiving yards
Amari Cooper over/under 66.5 receiving yards

PICK
Cardinals +1

It just all comes back to the Dallas defense. How do the Cowboys get stops, especially against a receiving corps headlined by DeAndre Hopkins? Even if Dallas was able to take away the All-Pro wideout, Kyler Murray can spread it around to secondary receivers like Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella. Defensively, Arizona will feel the loss of elite pass-rusher Chandler Jones, but will it be affected as much as Dallas will be by the loss of Prescott?