NFC Wild Card 49ers at Cowboys Betting Preview
Can Dallas' #1 Scoring Offense Get the Job Done?
Dallas seems to have the toughest matchup of any of the home teams this weekend heading into the NFC wild card 49ers at Cowboys betting matchup. Mike McCarthy’s team is up against a San Francisco squad that went 7-2 to finish out the regular season, have a good defense, can run the football, and have a QB that seems to have put it all together as of late.
Of course Dallas is at home and also have the NFL’s #1 total yards (407.0) and scoring (31.2 ppg) offense. The Cowboys ranked #9 in rushing this year (124.6) and #3 in passing (282.4) so they can hurt opponents in a variety of ways on offense. The Cowboys are -3 point favorites in a line that has stayed firm, and a slight 53% of the public do like the Niners getting the points.
Too Much Deebo?
In a game that features offensive weapons abound on both sides of the ball, San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel may be the most dangerous of the all. Samuel’s versatility makes him almost impossible to game plan against, tallying 8 TDs on the ground and another 6 through the air. In another bit of intrigue, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn when he was the head coach in Atlanta. This will be a chess game with Samuel for sure.
For as good as Samuel has been, it’s still Jimmy Garoppolo driving this 49ers to the success they’ve had down the stretch. Garoppolo was 23/32 for 316 yards to help lead a comeback over the Rams last week, but does have 4 INTs in his last two starts which is a concern against this Dallas defense.
The NFC wild card 49ers at Cowboys betting pick likely comes down to how well the San Francisco defense is able to stifle the potent Dallas attack. That unit held the Rams to 265 total yards last week so that’s a good sign. SF’s Nick Bosa was 4th in the NFL with 15.5 so getting pressure in the Dallas back field will be huge.
Dallas With Momentum
The Cowboys avoided resting their starters last week in an essentially meaningless game against Philadelphia and instead rolled to a 51-26 win over the Eagles. That may have actually been smart as Dallas lost 25-23 to Arizona the week before and now go into the playoffs with a win in which the offense looked especially impressive.
Dak Prescott was 21/27 for 295 yards with 3 TDs last week and even though the Eagles did rest some players it was still the 2nd 50+ point output in the last three games. Prescott has 13TDs to 0 INT over his last four games and the San Francisco secondary is going to have their hands fill with CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Cedric Wilson, Jr. who may be the best WR trio in the league.
Free NFC Wild Card 49ers at Dallas Betting Pick
For as good as the Dallas offense is, they also had two players (Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs) named 1st team All-Pro on defense. Garoppolo and Prescott both have a lot to prove and the weapons to do it. Each squad also has a good defense so this game really is shaping up to be a good one.
Ultimately the fact that Garpoppolo has thrown a couple picks in each of his last two starts, is battling a thumb injury, and is on the road gives the Cowboys the slight edge here.
Cowboys 34 – 49ers 30
Free Pick: Cowboys -3
