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Expert Picks
If there is a game where the Cowboys can get it together, this is it. This is going to turn into a passing battle between Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins, and I like Prescott to be more efficient.
The Skins’ injury report runs 14 players long. Three did practice fully Monday; the others were out or limited. The Cowboys listed eight ailing players, half of whom sat out the latest practice. Three, ominously, are linebackers, though there is guarded optimism that the best one, Sean Lee (hamstring), will answer the bell. The difference in the number of walking wounded is one reason to lean toward Dallas. Another is the Cowboys taking seven of the last nine face-offs straight-up, including 33-19 this season, with one defeat occurring in overtime. Yet another is the venue. Though home-field advantage has not applied to Dallas this year, a midweek game tends to heighten the edge for any squad. While QB Kirk Cousins has managed to cover up for the absentees with admirable play, the pile-up of injuries will catch up to the Skins eventually. That moment could come against this division rival, which is reaching for a lifeline to the postseason.
Washington has faced a gauntlet of contenders in their road schedule this year: the Rams (win), Chiefs (when they were good), Eagles, Seahawks (win) and Saints (cover). This will be their easiest road test of the year, going against a gutted Cowboys team that's scored in single digits in three straight games while giving up 27 or more in each. Kirk Cousins is a good bet to throw all over the Dallas defense, and Washington should fare better without Ezekiel Elliott rushing for 150 yards this time around. This should close with Washington favored, so grab it now.
Things aren't going very well for the Cowboys during their three-game skid with RB Ezekiel Elliott and LB Sean Lee out, but they have a decent opportunity to score against the Redskins' defense just because most offenses do. Still, there's no denying that an offense that has scored seven, nine and six points in those three losing efforts has some major issues to fix during a short week. The edge in Thursday games usually belongs to the home team, but Kirk Cousins scores against almost everyone. Redskins are the play.