While the Dallas Cowboys have been playing defense at a high level all season long, make no mistake about it, DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch and the rest of the ‘Boys defense will have their hands full trying to slow down Todd Gurley, Jared Goff and the rest of the explosive Los Angeles Rams when the two teams square off in their NFC divisional showdown on Saturday.
Will the Boys be able to contain the Rams or will L.A. put on a high-scoring show en route to a berth in the conference championship game? If you love Over/Under total betting, then let’s find out right now what’s going to go down in this contest.
NFC Divisional Playoffs – Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
Game Information
What: NFC Divisional Playoffs – Dallas Cowboys (10-6) at Los Angeles Rams (13-3)
When: Saturday, January 12, 2019, 8:15 PM ET
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
TV: FOX
Weather Forecast
Change Light Rain: 13°C | 55°F
Humidity: 89%
Wind: 1 MPH E
Stadium Type: Open Air
Why bet on the Dallas Cowboys?
By now, you probably know that Dallas is on fire, having won an impressive seven of their last eight regular-season contests before getting past Seattle 24-22 in the wild-card round last weekend in a game that finished just Over the 43-point total.
Dak Prescott passed for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding a rushing score in the win. Running back Ezekiel Elliott had a fantastic game by rushing for 137 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Dallas made life difficult for Russell Wilson and Seattle’s league-leading rushing attack. Now, the Boys say their win over Seattle is history and that they are focused on the task of beating the Rams.
“We’re in a tournament where you win or go home, and we won,” quarterback Dak Prescott said at the podium Saturday night. “So we’re going on to the next one. It’s about moving forward now.”
Dallas averages a modest 21.2 points per game (22nd) but limits the opposition to just 20.2 points per contest defensively to rank sixth in points allowed. The bad news is that Dallas is just 3-5 in eight road games this season. Still, they have their eyes set on reaching the NFC championship game for the first time since 1995.
“It’s a new week,” linebacker Jaylon Smith said, repeating a comment he made as he walked off the field Saturday night. “We all know where we want to be. Haven’t been there since ’95. The Over is 2-0 in Dallas’ last two games and 4-4 over their last eight.
• Under is 6-1 in Cowboys last 7 games on grass.
• Under is 4-1 in Cowboys last 5 playoff road games.
• Under is 11-4 in Cowboys last 15 games following a straight up win.
• Under is 10-4 in Cowboys last 14 games in January.
• Under is 7-3 in Cowboys last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
Why bet on the Los Angeles Rams?
Los Angeles hits the postseason riding a two-game winning streak that includes a 48-32 win over San Francisco in their finale in a game that finished well over the 49.5-point total. Now, Los Angeles is looking for nothing less than a victory to get past Dallas after their one-and-done playoff appearance from a year ago.
“These guys have been playing really good football throughout the year,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “They’re battle-tested and it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us.”
The good news for Los Angeles is that they’ve won seven of their eight home games this season and they’re well-rested and mostly healthy after their bye last weekend. The Rams rank a stellar second in scoring (32.9 ppg) while also ranking a modest 20th in points allowed (24.0 ppg). L.A. has gone 5-3 O/U over their last eight games.
• Over is 4-0 in Rams last 4 Divisional Playoffs games.
• Over is 4-0 in Rams last 4 home games.
• Over is 4-1 in Rams last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
• Over is 5-2 in Rams last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
• Over is 9-4 in Rams last 13 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
• Under is 13-6 in Rams last 19 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game.
Expert Pick and Prediction
Yes, the Rams are super explosive offensively and they can score points in bunches. The good news for the Cowboys and their betting backers is the fact that Dallas has an elite defense that features a bunch of speed and talent at all three levels.
Having said that, I’m expecting Dallas’ defense to be the driving reason that this game finishes just under the 49-point total. The Under is 5-0 in Dallas’ last 5 road games against a team with a winning home record and a seriously consistent 22-7 in their last 29 road games.
The Under is also 5-2 in the Rams’ last 7 games in the month of January and 3-2 in their last five games overall. I think the total for this contest is a tad too high, based mostly on the fact that the Rams can put points on the board in a hurry and they’re playing at home. I like Los Angeles to eke out the hard-fought home win to dispatch Dallas while the Under plays out – just narrowly in this one!
Predicted Score Dallas Cowboys 21 | Los Angeles Rams 27
