There's a midday treat on NFL Thanksgiving schedule when the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Redskins in an important NFC East battle at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Redskins currently sit atop the NFC East standings, but will have to navigate their daunting schedule without quarterback Alex Smith, who suffered a gruesome leg injury last week. That means Colt McCoy, the former standout quarterback at Texas, will lead the charge against Dallas. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are looking for their third straight victory after beating the Eagles and Falcons and enter Thursday's matchup as a touchdown favorite. The over-under for total points scored is 40.5 in the latest Cowboys vs. Redskins odds. Before you make any Cowboys vs. Redskins picks and predictions, be sure to check out what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The advanced computer model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, and those who have followed it have seen massive returns. SportsLine's proprietary computer model went 176-80 last season and beat over 95 percent of CBS Office Pool players in 2016 and '17. It also performed better than 98 percent of experts tracked by NFLPickWatch.com during that span. Additionally, it went 48-34 on A-rated picks against the spread last season, and $100 bettors who followed it the past two seasons are up nearly $4,000.
The model has continued to nail its top-rated picks in 2018, entering Week 12 on a blistering 12-0 run. For the season, it is now 26-9 on all top-rated picks, extending its two-year run to a strong 74-43. And when it comes to all straight-up picks, the model is 105-53 this season, again ranking in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch.com. Anybody who has been following it is way, way up.
Now the model is dialed in on Redskins vs. Cowboys (stream live on fuboTV). We can tell you it's leaning over, but it also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
The model knows that the Cowboys are just one game back from the Redskins in the division and have plenty of play for after winning back-to-back games. Dallas surprisingly went on the road and beat both the Falcons and Eagles as underdogs, thanks in part to strong performances from running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The third-year pro has accumulated 388 total yards and three touchdowns in his last two games and will be heavily featured again on Thursday. In addition to Elliott's dominating performances, Dallas' defense has played extremely well this season. In fact, the Cowboys boast the third-ranked scoring defense in the league, allowing just 19 points per game.
The Cowboys have also dominated this series as of late, winning four of their last five meetings with the Redskins. In order for that trend to continue, Dallas will need to rely heavily on the ground game and let its defense pressure McCoy, who's making his first start since 2014.
But just because the Cowboys are starting to show life doesn't mean they'll cover in their Thanksgiving Day NFL game, especially against a bitter division rival that leads them by one game in the NFC East.
Redskins backup quarterback Colt McCoy, who will start for the injured Alex Smith (leg), showed he's ready for primetime when he led back-to-back touchdown drives against Houston last week. Expect him to be gunning for big target Jordan Reed, who caught seven balls for 71 yards and a score last Sunday. McCoy also will rely on 33-year-old running back Adrian Peterson, whose punishing style sets the tone for Washington. Peterson has seven total touchdowns this season.
Who wins Redskins vs. Cowboys? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over on Thanksgiving Day, all from the incredible computer model that has returned nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors.
