DALLAS (7-4) AT NEW ORLEANS (5-6)
TV: Fox, NFL, Amazon, 8:20 p.m.
Line: Dallas by 5; O/U: 47.5
Thursday Night Football has long been this pigskin prognosticator’s nemesis. Short week. Injuries. Motivation factor. So many different aspects that make most, if not all, matchups difficult to predict. I went 0-3 against the spread on Thanksgiving, am 4-10 overall on Thursday games this year and haven’t gotten one right since Week 6 (and even that was a lucky cover!). Now, as if picking Thursday games already wasn’t difficult, we must factor in the Cowboys’ COVID-19 situation.
Coach Mike McCarthy tested positive and won’t be on the sideline. At first, that sounds like a huge hindrance for Dallas but the Browns won a playoff game last year without their head coach and the Cardinals did the same thing this season. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the former Falcons head coach, will act as interim and he is familiar with the Saints from his time in the NFC South. Dak Prescott should have receiver CeeDee Lamb back, and Amari Cooper may play as well.
Like me, both teams lost on Thanksgiving: Dallas a 36-33 overtime stunner at home to Las Vegas, and New Orleans a 31-6 home dud against Buffalo. Alvin Kamara may return to the Saints and that would be huge, but I’m not sure it will be enough to stop their four-game losing streak. New Orleans’ win over Tampa Bay in Week 8 feels like it was months ago. Trevor Siemian showed last week he just can’t be trusted in a big spot, especially in prime time. Prescott can, and I expect Dallas to rebound.
This will be close, and considering Dallas’ setbacks, the best advice may be to just sit this one out. If you must make a pick, keep it simple by going with the better quarterback and better team looking to get back on track.
The pick: Dallas
