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Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys Odds opened at Dallas -3 and have moved all the way up to -4 ½ at many online sportsbooks. This is good news for Falcons bettors. Over 80 percent of the action in this game was going towards Atlanta in fact. BetUS.com was offering the line at -4 ½ while quite a few other books were still offering the line at -4.
These teams have split their last two games, both road wins and both by wider margins than the current spread.
While there are quite a lot of seemingly lopsided matches being played out this weekend, Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys is not one of them.
From Scout.com:
One of the big reasons Romo played better in Kansas City two weeks ago (his last start) was because Dallas got away from their big-play mentality. Romo did a much better job of taking what the defense gave him. Look for a lot more underneath throws -- and using the backs as receivers out of the backfield to get Romo comfortable before they try to stretch the field.
A few things are going on in the Falcons' run game when you break them down on tape: At times RBs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood are not being patient enough to stay with the hole or allow the play to develop, but the biggest issue is the O-line mechanics. The linemen need to improve their footwork, hand placement and ability to get to the second level. That will be the focus of the unit this week.
NFL.com also offered up some important points about this game:
Miles Austin's emergence: Following his 250-yard performance against the Chiefs, Austin was named a starting wide receiver over Patrick Crayton. Given Roy Williams' struggles this season, Austin may in fact be the team's No. 1 wide receiver. The fourth-year pro out of Monmouth has never been a primary player and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his added responsibility.
Keith Brooking's revenge: Atlanta was home to Brooking for the first 11 years of his career before he joined Dallas in the offseason. He will have plenty of motivation to show his former team what they lost by letting him go to the Cowboys.
Roddy White's recent explosion: The Falcons' Pro Bowl receiver started slowly this season, but he has picked it up in the last two weeks. He has 266 receiving yards and three touchdowns over that span and he will look to continue his hot streak against Dallas' 26th-ranked pass defense.
Some important Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys odds trends to consider before betting on this game:
The Falcons are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
The Falcons are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a bye week.
The Cowboys are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 vs. NFC.
The Cowboys are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
The Cowboys are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
The Cowboys are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.
Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
