Dallas Cowboys-San Francisco 49ers Odds and Picks Against the Spread
Will the struggling Cowboys find their footing against a fast-improving 49ers team desperate for a win? SportsLine previews the game.
DALLAS COWBOYS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (+6, O/U 47), Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Wait, the Cowboys are 2-3 straight-up? How did that happen?
Mainly, it’s on the defense. Dallas became the second team ever to ring up at least 30 points on back-to-back home gigs and lose both. The bye might have been timely, though the ongoing saga of RB Ezekiel Elliott keeps hanging over the Cowboys.
The 49ers have their own dubious distinction. They are the first team to drop five games in a row outright by three or fewer points.
Adding to the agony, two have occurred in overtime. They return home after a rare three-game road stretch, the last two occurring in the Eastern time zone.
LINE MOVEMENTS, TRENDS
The leap from four to six points can be attributed almost entirely to Elliott being cleared to play.
The 49ers’ close defeats have been kind to their backers. They went 4-1 ATS in the five outright losses. The Cowboys have covered in three of the latest dozen games overall.
BREAKDOWN
Elliott was granted another lifting of his league-imposed suspension. He has been reasonably productive throughout the ordeal, with 283 yards on 72 carries the past three games, along with eight receptions.
The Dallas defense ranks 21st in yards allowed, which doesn’t cut it for a Super Bowl-minded team.
It could get well against rookie QB C.J. Beathard in his initial start. Beathard was sharp out of the bullpen last Sunday, but starting is a whole ‘nother animal. The opposing team has video of him to help prepare. And Dallas DE DeMarcus Lawrence tops the league with 8.5 sacks.
To lighten the load on Beathard, the Niners might be expected to call RB Carlos Hyde's number often. He relishes the home field, having averaged a touchdown and 93 yards in each of the past seven appearances on familiar turf.
PICK
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