Dallas at Washington NFL Lines & Expert Prediction for Week 8

Dallas at Washington NFL Lines & Expert Prediction for Week 8

Written by on October 27, 2017

The Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins meet on Sunday afternoon in a battle to see which team will likely be the other NFC East representative in the playoffs. The whole division is looking up at the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Cowboys’ 40-10 demolition of San Francisco last week showed that they might have decided to play defense — and they still have Ezekiel Elliott for now. The Redskins lost by 10 in Philadelphia on Monday night, and they look to end a negative trend against Dallas — the Cowboys have won four of the last five games in the rivalry. This is a matchup that has produced many meaningful memories over the years, such as the time when Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin tossed a funeral wreath in the Redskins’ locker room at halftime of a game…that the Redskins would win. Check out our NFL lines preview for the latest renewal of this NFC East feud.

Dallas at Washington NFL Lines & Expert Prediction for Week 8

When: Sunday, October 29, 2017, 4:25pm ET Where: FedExField, Landover, MD TV: FOX Radio: KRLD 105.3 FM Dallas / WTEM 980 AM Washington Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Lines: Dallas -2.5, O/U 50.5

Weather Forecast

  • Rain: 10°C/50°F
  • Humidity: 70%
  • Precipitation: 65%
  • Wind: 9 mph NNW
  • Cloud Cover: 100%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Cowboys?

Ezekiel Elliott has broken out of an early-season slump and has run for 263 yards in the last two weeks, in the Cowboys’ 35-31 loss to Green Bay and in their win over the 49ers. He also caught a screen pass against San Francisco and took it to the house for a 72-yard score. On the day, Dallas gained 501 yards of total offense, showing how powerful their attack is when they can establish the run and then use the play-action pass to get the ball down the field. The Dallas defense looked stout against San Francisco. Yes, the 49ers are 0-7, but they only lost to Washington by two points the week before. Sean Lee returned at middle linebacker to anchor the Dallas defense, and the unit had a lot fewer communication issues than they had shown in previous weeks. Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis continue to grow at the cornerback positions, and DeMarcus Lawrence leads the NFL in sacks, so Dallas should have some answers for that Redskin offense.

Why should you put your money on the Redskins?

Kirk Cousins does a terrific job throwing the ball for Washington. Against the Eagles — who have a good pass rush and secondary of their own — he threw the ball for 303 yards and three scores (and one pick). The problems for Washington came on the ground, as the team only picked up 75 yards on 18 carries, led by 38 yards from Chris Thompson. If the Cowboys can bottle up the run similarly and force a lot of third-and-long situations, they should be able to minimize Washington’s drives down the field. Dallas at Washington NFL Lines & Expert Prediction for Week 8 Are the Redskins a safe bet in Week 8? The Washington defense looked porous without cornerback Josh Norman. He has missed the last two contests with a rib injury and is listed as questionable for the Dallas game. Without Norman to counter such receivers as Dez Bryant and Terrence Williams, the Cowboys should be able to find open receivers down the field, and it’s not like Washington bottled up the Eagles’ running game either. If you like the Redskins, you think that they can outgun the Cowboys on offense and win in a shootout.

Latest NFL Lines Trends

  • Cowboys are 4-9 ATS in the last 13 games
  • Cowboys are 16-6 SU in the last 22 games
  • The total went OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 5 games
  • Redskins are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 games
  • Redskins are 6-3 SU in the last 9 games at home
  • The total went OVER in 18 of Washington’s last 25 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Dallas and Washington almost always produce memorable games because of the emotional timbre of their rivalry. I expect lots of points in this game, as Prescott & Elliott mount drives one way and Cousins brings the Redskins back in the other. It won’t surprise me at all to see this game go down to the final possession. I definitely like the “over” in this game, because neither team has the shutdown secondary that it needs to clamp down on the scoring. I predict a final score of Dallas 38, Washington 34.