NFL Prediction: Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers



A preview of the Cowboys at Steelers matchup, with winning angles and a free pick.

Preview and pick for Cowboys at Steelers

One of the great NFL rivalries of the 1970s involved the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They met twice in Super Bowls, with the Steelers winning both en route to four championships in the decade. The Cowboys would emerge as the dominant team in the 1990s, but they have since faded into mediocrity, at best, while Pittsburgh has become once again one of the perennial contenders in the NFL. This week, the Steelers visit Dallas as the lone unbeaten team in the NFL, with a 7-0 record. Dallas comes in at 2-6 after losing in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

The Cowboys are expected to have backup Andy Dalton back at quarterback, but the Cowboys' real problems come on defense – don't be fooled by those four takeaways against the Eagles, as those were more about Carson Wentz making bad decisions than anything else. Take a look at our preview of Sunday's tilt, with odds courtesy of classic online betting brand JAZZSports.ag.

When: Sunday, November 8, 2020, 4:25 pm ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
TV: CBS
Radio: WBGG 970 AM Pittsburgh / KRLD 105.3 FM Dallas
JAZZ Sports Odds: Steelers (-14), Over/Under 43

Why the Steelers Will Win

The Steelers are wrapping up a rare three-week road swing in Dallas. Pittsburgh did knock off Baltimore in Week 8, putting themselves in the driver's seat atop the AFC North. In their win over the Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and James Conner ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts. JuJu Smith-Schuster had seven catches for 67 yards.

Steelers Cowboys free pickDallas is averaging over 25 points per game, but in the three games that Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci have started at quarterback for Dallas, the Cowboys have scored 22 points combined. The Steelers are a defense-first team that will load the box to stop Ezekiel Elliott and dare Dalton to throw the ball down the field and beat them. The Cowboys have a terrific group of wide receivers, but the Dallas O-line has suffered several key injuries and zero depth. Add to that the lack of mobility that Dalton has, and you see Pittsburgh keeping the Cowboys out of the end zone.

Why the Cowboys Will Win

Anything can happen in the NFL, of course. We saw the Giants come within a few plays of knocking off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys did show an uptick on effort, at least, on defense against the Eagles on Sunday, and that paid off in terms of an improved pass rush. If the Eagles had stayed committed to the run, though, they were on pace in the early going to break the 200-yard barrier against Dallas on the ground. You can be sure that the Steelers will establish the run and just keep running the ball.

Dallas Pittsburgh free pickIf you like Dallas here, you see the Steelers mentally taking the week off after beating their hated division rivals. Early lines on other books saw the Steelers favored by 9 to 9 ½ points, but this game could get ugly in a hurry. After all, they lost to Washington by 22. In the two games they’ve won, they’ve given up 63 points and scored 67. It’s hard to see a path to victory, or even covering, against the Steelers.

The Final Word

Dallas has won 6 of the last 10 meetings with the Steelers, and they finally did get Super Bowl redemption against the Steel Curtain in Super Bowl XXX…which was 25 years ago. Expect the Steelers to cruise to a win, and take Pittsburgh, at whatever cost, before the line gets even wider.

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