Thursday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to win their 11th-straight game when they visit the Vikings on Thursday Night football. Led by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys have exceeded expectations and have the look for a Super Bowl contender.
The Vikings on the other hand looked like a Super Bowl contender after a 5-0 start, but Minnesota has cooled considerably since then. They have lost five of their last six games and are currently a game behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Both teams are in the thick of things in the NFC but it is Dallas who is in the drivers seat. If the Vikings want to stay in the playoff picture, they will need to win this game. It will be a tough task when you consider how well the Cowboys are playing right now.
Here are our keys to victory for both teams.
Cowboys Keys to Victory
1. Feed the Zeke! Ezekiel Elliott is having a rookie season for the ages. He is the epitome of a bell cow running back. He can carry the ball 25 times a game and he can play all three downs. He has been the catalyst for the Cowboys offensively. Dallas must keep feeding the football, especially against Minnesota’s undersized front.
2. Win the Line of Scrimmage: The offensive line has been dominant this season. If they can win the line of scrimmage, Dallas will win this game. The Vikings are undersized up front, so the Cowboys must run at them and wear them down.
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3. Get off the Field on 3rd Down: The Cowboys are 23rd in the league in third-down efficiency. They have had a hard getting teams off the field at times this season. It is imperative that the Dallas defense gets Sam Bradford and company into third and long situations and gets them off the field.
Vikings Keys to Victory
1. Get Dallas Into Long Down Situations: The Vikings need to win first and second down and get Dak Prescott and the Cowboys defense into third-and-long situations. Prescott has played great this season, but when he is forced into long down situations, he has a tendency to hold the ball and force. The Vikings need to get him into as many long down situations as possible.
2. Affect Prescott’s Rhythm: Dak Prescott has had it pretty easy at times this season. The Vikings must throw him off of his rhythm early. Look for Minnesota to send their patented double A-gap blitz in the first quarter in an effort to rattle Prescott and force him off his spot.
3. Score First: Scoring first is important regardless of where a team is playing but it is even more important when you are playing on the road. The Vikings must score first if they want to win this game.
Odds
Point Spread: Dallas -3.5
Moneyline: Dallas -175, Minnesota +155
Over/Under: 44
Next: 5 Bold Predictions for Cowboys vs Vikings
Prediction
It is really hard to pick against Dallas in this game. The Cowboys have found a recipe for success: Run the football and play good defense. It has worked for them thus far and I don’t see that changing tonight. Minnesota will play them tough, but I can’t see the Vikings winning this game. I like the Cowboys in what should be a good game.
Pick: Dallas Cowboys: 24, Minnesota Vikings: 21