Week 13 gets underway tonight in Dallas as the Seahawks and Cowboys do battle on Thursday Night Football! As one of the league’s hottest teams, Dallas is currently a nine-point favorite against the struggling Seahawks, while the total over/under is 47.5.
The Seahawks
Seattle is 1-3 in their last four weeks and in dire need of a win here tonight. As they get into the toughest part of their schedule, the team is just barely hanging on to a playoff spot in the NFC. For things to go well in this one, the offence will need to step up in a big way. In all three of their most recent losses, the Hawks have mustered a total of one offensive touchdown and 32 total points. It doesn’t help that the offensive line is banged up and Kenneth Walker is missing another game, but Geno Smith needs to find a way to get his talented receivers the ball. He’ll need to do it quickly too, as tonight’s matchup features a hungry defensive line headlined by Micah Parsons.
Look for Smith to involve Jaxon Smith-Njigba a lot today. The rookie’s usage has gone up recently and with Lockett and Metcalf drawing the toughest matchups in the secondary, there could be room for JSN to make a difference.
On defence, Seattle will have to be on their toes at all times. The unit is better than the scoreboard has shown recently, but Dallas’ offence is one of the best in the league right now. Tony Pollard hasn’t been as electrifying as people thought he might be this season, but he’s picked things up in the past two weeks. If Seattle has any chance tonight, they’ll need to keep him quiet and force Dak to throw at their very capable corners.
The Cowboys
People may still have their doubts about the Cowboys given the level of competition they’ve played, but no one can deny how good they’ve looked recently. Dak has been fantastic, DaRon Bland is breaking records, and the team has the best point differential in the league. Recently, they’ve seen improvement from RB Tony Pollard as well, which has only added another dimension to one of the league’s most potent offences. Tonight, look for Dallas to involve Pollard early and often. The Seahawks aren’t terrible against the run, but they’re not great either. Pollard should get plenty of looks in both the rushing and passing game.
Defensively, if Dallas keeps doing what they’ve been doing, this game might not be close. Seattle’s offence is struggling at the moment, and if there’s one defence you wouldn’t want to see in the midst of a rut, it’s Dallas’. In terms of specifics, look for Micah Parsons to create pressure all day against Seattle’s banged up line. Geno should be able to spread the ball out and avoid DaRon Bland most of the time, but Parsons is almost inevitable at this point. If the ‘Boys can shut down rookie running back Zach Charbonnet and force Seattle into throwing positions, Parsons could feast.
Seahawks and Cowboys: The Pick
On paper, this one doesn’t look like a great matchup. Seattle is injured and reeling after two ugly losses, while Dallas is looking like a top-five team in the NFL. However, I have faith that the Seahawks and Cowboys can still deliver some entertainment tonight. Both teams have a lot on the line, and while Dallas is looking to catch the Eagles in the NFC East, Seattle is desperate for a win to keep the ship afloat before two games against San Francisco and Philadelphia. It’s tough to know what we’ll see from these teams, but we may as well hope for the fireworks. We’ll take the over in total points!
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