WASHINGTON (2 - 0) at DALLAS (1 - 1)
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 73-49 ATS (+19.1 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1992.
WASHINGTON is 57-35 ATS (+18.5 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.
WASHINGTON is 33-14 ATS (+17.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.
DALLAS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Dallas is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
WASHINGTON at DALLAS
WASHINGTON: 33-14 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points
DALLAS: 11-0 Over on turf
NFL Week 3
Redskins (2-0) @ Cowboys (1-1) - Romo showed major guts in leading comeback win last week with busted rib/punctured lung, now he faces rival Redskins in Dallas home opener. Since 2004, Dallas is 4-12-1 vs spread as home favorite in divisional games. Cowboys won four of last five in series, with three of four wins by 4 or less points. Redskins lost four of last five visits to this site, with only one loss by more than five points. Four of last five series totals were 24 or less. Dallas is 9-12 in last 21 games as home favorites; they’re 9-7 in games following a win. Redskin defense allowed only 4-19 conversions on 3rd down, as Washington won field position in both wins, by 7-8 yards; they’ve got seven sacks and had defensive TD that put them ahead against Giants. Since 1988, Week 3 home favorites who played on road first two weeks are 15-33 vs spread; Week 3 road underdogs who played first two games at home are 34-22-1. One-dimensional Cowboys have 753 passing yards, only 109 on the ground.
Redskins at Cowboys: What Bettors Need to Know
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys (-5.5, 45.5)
THE STORY: Tony Romo shouldn't be feeling confident enough to book a reservation in the penthouse suite yet, but at least he's out of the outhouse as the Dallas Cowboys prepare for their home opener against bitter division rival Washington on Monday night. Romo returned from a fractured rib and tiny tear in his lung to rally the Cowboys to a 27-24 overtime win at San Francisco last week. The performance helped blot out the memory of two killer turnovers in a season-opening loss to the New York Jets. The unbeaten Redskins are the surprise leaders in the NFC East but are venturing on the road for the first time.
ABOUT THE REDSKINS (2-0): Washington erased an eight-point deficit in the final 5 ½ minutes to overcome Arizona 22-21 last week for its first 2-0 start since the 2007 season. Rex Grossman, who brashly predicted Washington is the team to beat in the NFC East, had thrown for 596 yards and four touchdowns. Tim Hightower and rookie Roy Helu combined to rush for 170 yards on 30 carries as the Redskins held the ball for 38 ½ minutes. TE Fred Davis has averaged 17.4 yards on 11 receptions. Defensively, safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) is expected to make his season debut for Washington, which has registered seven sacks.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS (1-1): Romo came off the bench to ignite a fourth-quarter rally that prevented a second straight 0-2 start. He has thrown for 342 and 345 yards in the first two games. Romo did not practice Thursday but was fitted for a protective vest Wednesday. If he plays, Romo could be without his top two receivers. Miles Austin (hamstring), who caught three TD passes last week, has already been ruled out and Dez Bryant (thigh) is questionable. In addition, RB Felix Jones has a separated shoulder. The Cowboys top the NFL in sacks with 10, led by league leader DeMarcus Ware’s 4.0.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Cowboys own an NFL-high 42 wins on Monday Night Football, but they have split 14 meetings with Washington, which is seeking its first 3-0 start since the 2007 season.
2. Romo holds a franchise record with a TD pass in 20 straight games for Dallas, which has lost both its home openers since Cowboys Stadium opened in 2009.
3. “I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever’s hurt. Romo’s ribs – I’m going to be asking for some corner blitzes. If I know Felix Jones’ shoulder’s hurt. … I’m definitely going to try to hit him up high. If you know something’s wrong with an opponent, you’re going to try to target in on that. We’re going to try to definitely get as many hats on that team as possible.” – Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall on attacking Dallas’ injured players.
TRENDS:
The Redskins are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games overall and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 roadies.
The Cowboys are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with winning records and 7-2-1 in their last 10 games overall.
The under is 7-2 in the Redskins' last nine games overall while the over is 9-0 in the Cowboys' last nine home games.
LINE MOVEMENT
Most books kept this game off the board because of the uncertain status of Dallas QB Tony Romo. Vegas and offshore sportsbooks started opening the line over the weekend as it became more apparent Romo would play. The MGM/Mirage has Dallas as a 5.5-point favorite while the Hilton lists the home side as 6.5-point chalk. The total is between 45.5 and 46.
PREDICTION: Cowboys 27, Redskins 17. Even with all the injuries, the Cowboys should be able to move the ball and outscore Washington.
MNF - Redskins at Cowboys
By Kevin Rogers
The NFC East usually sees plenty of storylines week in and week out, but it was turned up this week with Tony Romo and Michael Vick's injuries. Romo is expected to start on Monday night when the 1-1 Cowboys host the 2-0 Redskins, as the quarterback looks to capitalize on the dramatic comeback victory at San Francisco last Sunday.
The roles flipped around in the span of seven days after Jason Garrett's club blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of a Week 1 loss to the Jets, as the Cowboys rallied from a 10-point deficit at Candlestick Park. Romo suffered bruised ribs and a punctured lung, but led Dallas on two scoring drives to force overtime, while connecting on a key 77-yard pass to Jesse Holley to set up the winning field goal. The Cowboys pushed as three-point favorites, bailing out Dallas backers when it looked like all hope with lost with Romo's injury.
Washington has turned into one of the league's early surprises after being picked by many to finish in the cellar of the NFC East. The Redskins are 2-0 following home victories over the Giants and Cardinals, capped off by overcoming a late 21-13 deficit in a 22-21 triumph against Arizona. Mike Shanahan's team failed to cover as four-point favorites, as the Redskins' offense ranks 11th in the league through two weeks by posting 393.5 yards/game (Dallas ranks fourth at 431 yards/game).
Past Romo's internal injuries, the Cowboys are dealing with the bumps and bruises of running back Felix Jones (shoulder) and wide receiver Dez Bryant (quad). Both Jones and Bryant are expected to play on Monday night, as the former Oklahoma State standout missed last week's win at San Francisco. Miles Austin is unlikely to play for the Cowboys with a hamstring injury, as the receiver hauled in nine passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers.
The Redskins covered two of three road games against division foes in Shanahan's first season as head coach, including a 33-30 loss at Dallas as 9 ½-point 'dogs. Washington compiled a 5-2 ATS record when receiving points on the road last season, while going 9-3-1 ATS since 2009 as an away 'dog.
Dallas isn't exactly the best team to back as a home favorite, putting together a 1-5 ATS mark last season, including 0-3 ATS record with Romo under center. The offense clicked in those three losses to the Bears, Titans, and Giants in 2010, but the defense was shredded by allowing an average of 34 ppg. The 'over' hit in all eight games at Cowboys Stadium, while cashing in 14 of the last 15 overall since Week 4 of last season.
America's Team is just 1-5 ATS since 2006 under the Monday night lights, including a 41-35 home loss to the Giants last season as 3½-point favorites. That defeat sent Dallas to 1-5 as Romo's season ended with a broken collarbone in the first half. The Cowboys are 0-4 ATS in this stretch against NFC East opponents, while facing Washington on Monday night for the first time since 2005. That loss still stings Cowboys fans after blowing a late 13-0 lead in a 14-13 setback to the rival Redskins as six-point favorites.
Washington's record against division foes on Monday night isn't any better with three double-digit defeats over the previous two seasons, including an embarrassing 59-28 whitewashing by the Eagles in 2010. The last time the Redskins were victorious on Monday night was in 2007 as Washington won at Philadelphia, 20-12 as seven-point underdogs.
The Cowboys are listed between 4½ and 5-point favorites, as the line will stabilize once the status of Romo, Jones, and Bryant becomes clearer. The total is set at 45 ½ as the game will kick off at 8:30 PM EST from Cowboys Stadium and will be televised nationally on ESPN .