The New Orleans Saints (5-6) will enter Thursday night football and look to end a four-game losing streak. Tessam Hill is expected to make her debut as quarterback and face the Dallas Cowboys (7-4) team that is also coming off a Thanksgiving Day defeat. The Cowboys have lost three of their last four matches and have also lost their head coach after Mike McCarthy tested positive for COVID-19. The Cowboys vs Saints matchup has been a close one recently, as the Saints won the 2019 matchup by two points after the Cowboys won by three points in 2018.
Kickoff from the Superdome in New Orleans is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. Dallas is the six-point favorite in Kaiser Sportsbook's latest Cowboys versus St. Odds, while the over-unders are 46 for points overall. Before you make any Saints vs. Cowboys picks or TNF predictions, be sure to check out what Red-Hot Sportsline says NFL expert Emory Hunt.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football GamePlan, which has been supplying analysis for all levels of football since 2007, and a former running one in Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from the player's perspective.
Hunt has had considerable success in sports involving the Dallas Cowboys. He went 30-20-1 in his final 51 against-the-spread picks in Dallas games, returning $920 to $100 players. Whoever has followed him is above.
Now, Hunt breaks down the Cowboys vs. Saints from every angle and simply locks in his expert NFL picks and predictions. You can visit Sportsline now to see his TNF pics. Now, here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Cowboys vs. Saints:
- Cowboys vs. Saints spread: Dallas -6
- Cowboys vs. Saints over-under: 46 points
- Cowboys vs. Saints money line: Dallas -270, New Orleans +220
- DAL: Under has hit in four of the last five Cowboys games
- NO: Saints are 4-1 against the spread as home underdogs
The Dallas key players are returning to the lineup just as the Saints' most important players are exiting. The Cowboys are expected to welcome Amari Cooper and CD Lamb after the former missed two games due to COVID, while Lamb missed an injury. This season, Dak Prescott has a 110.8 passer rating when both receivers are in the lineup, compared to an 83.1 rating when at least one is absent.
As for New Orleans, the Saints will never again overtake Alvin Kamara, who is the base of the Saints' offensive on land and through the air. Also, both opening offensive tackles are sidelined for New Orleans, as do the Cowboys' best pass-rushers, returning from defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, IR. New Orleans have lost their last two games by double digits and all these absences will make it difficult for the Saints to stay competitive.
New Orleans have a solid defense led by defensive end Cameron Jordan, who has had a sack in two of his last three home games. He has 15.5 sacks and 18 tackles in 11 career matches on Thursday and needs a sack for his 10th consecutive five-sack season. Jordan has 37 tackles this season including 22 singles and six tackles for losses. They have had one forced fumble and four pass breakups.
Safety Marcus Williams has also grown for the Saints, recording a season-high nine tackles in Week 12. For the year, Williams is third on the team in tackles with 56, including 38 singles. He has had seven pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced rumble. He has played well against Dallas in the past, recording one interception in his last meeting against the Cowboys.
How to make Cowboys vs. Saints picks
We can tell you that Hunt is leaning under the total in this matchup, but he has discovered a crucial X-factor that has jumped him off one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side of the Cowboys vs. Saints is only on SportsLine.