Monday Night Football Showdown: Redskins/Cowboys Betting Preview

An NFC East rivalry game for Monday night football with the Cowboys riding high and the Redskins falling. This is the middle of a three-game home stand for Dallas. The Redskins are 7-1 ATS against Dallas, 6-1 ATS here in Dallas, the home team is 4-1 ATS and the under is 8-3 the last 11 meetings. It has been a dog series, too, as the underdog is 24-8 ATS in the last 32 meetings!

  Washington has a new coach in Jay Gruden, but the team is 0-3 SU on the road and 2-7 ATS away. Dallas has a balanced offense for 35-year old QB Tony Romo (14 TDs, 6 INTs; 1,789 yds) this season with RB DeMarco Murray (913 yds, 4.8 ypc) leadsing the NFL, plus WRs Dez Bryant (45 grabs, 590 yds) and Terrance Williams (338). Trend better's beware: The Cowboys are 3-5 ATS in their last 8 home games.  

Check out all of Jim's football selections for tonight and all weekend long, including an NFC Division Dominator Thursday, an NFL Revenge Game of the Year,. Jim is 3-0 with College games of the Month, hitting Notre Dame as his TV Game of the Month Saturday, and releases a Big 12 Game of the Month here at Don Best.com.  

(2-5 SU/2-5 ATS) Redskins:  4-3 run over the total.   1-4 SU run.  5-10 ATS run

• Big slump: Losing 37-34 at Philly, lost 45-14 to NYG, lost at Arizona (30-20).
• QB Kirk Cousins: 10 TDs, 9 INTs, 8 sacks, QB Colt McCoy (1 TD, no picks). RB Al Morris (440 yards, 3.8 ypc), TE Niles Paul (384), WRs Pierre Garcon (396), DeSean Jackson (528). 
• 2014 Offense:   4^th in passing (290 yards pg), 21^st in rushing (99 pg)
• 2014 Defense:   12^th against the run (103), 8^th vs pass (218 yds pg).
• Beat Jags (41-10), lost to Houston (17-6), at Eagles (37-34), NYG (45-14)
• Loss to NY Giants: allowed 449 yards (154 rushing), had 329 yds and 6 turnovers. Giants went 11-16 third down, Washington 1-8.
• Last game: Home vs. Tennessee, 19-17 win. Edge in yards 351-236, each team had 2 TOs and was 3-11 on third down. After Kirk Cousins was benched at halftime, Colt McCoy's first pass was a career-long 70-yarder that gave the Redskins their first lead. His first six attempts found their targets, and he led a fourth-quarter drive that produced a field goal on the last play of the game 
• McCoy hadn't thrown a pass in an NFL game in nearly a year, hit his first 6 attempts and led a 4th-Q drive that produced a field goal on the last play.
• Cousins, who entered the game leading the league with 8 interceptions, completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards with a pick and a lost fumble, giving him 11 giveaways on the season.  
• Redskins are 4-14 ATS vs. NFC.   4-12 ATS run, Under is 18-8-1 in October.                      

(6-1 SU/5-2 ATS) Cowboys: 3-1 home, 3-0 SU/ATS away.  6-2 ATS run - 5-4 under

• Lost opener to 49ers, but since then beat Titans (26-10), won at Rams (34-31), beat Saints (38-17), beat Texans (20-17) OT, won at Seattle (30-23).
• 2014 Offense:  14^th in passing (242 yds pg), No. 1 in rushing (159 ypg)
• 2014 Defense: 12^th in passing (230 yds), 16^th  in stopping rush (113).
• Over is 24-11 in October, 8-2 over following a S.U. win.
• 20-17 win over Houston: Murray 136 yds, 5^th straight 100+; Romo: 28-41, 324 yds, 2 TDs, 1 pick. Defense allowed 176 yds rushing, 5.7 ypc.
• Last game: Beat NYG 31-21, yards: 423-352 (edge in rushing 156-104), 9-14 on third down, Giants 5-13 on third.  DeMarco Murray (128 yds) broke Jim Brown's 56-year-old NFL record with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing game to start a season. Brown had 6 straight to start 1958.
• 24-11 over in October
• Under is 4-2 vs. NFC East, Over is 8-3 in Cowboys last 11 vs. NFC.
• 8-20 ATS vs. team with losing record, 0-4 ATS on MNF. 10-4-1 over on MNF