NFL Betting Odds – Cowboys vs. Niners: Which banged-up team will “get right”?

This week in NFL Betting Odds from Bitcoinx.com – Before the start of the season, there were some who might have forecast a battle between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

That might yet happen; after all, the season is still relatively young. But both of these teams have been hit with the injury bug, and they are stumbling. At the moment, Dallas is 3-3, while San Francisco is actually under the .500 mark (3-4).

Fortunately for both teams, they aren’t far out of the lead in their respective divisions. In the NFC East, the Cowboys are a game and a half behind Washington, which may or may not have lost its quarterback for the moment. The Niners trail Seattle by a game in the NFC West.

So opportunity accompanies the Sunday night clash between these teams. It’s one of three we’ll look at this week. 

DALLAS COWBOYS at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers, 8:20 PM ET Sunday

NFL Betting Odds:

San Francisco 49ers -4.5

Dallas Cowboys +4.5

Over 47 points -110

Under 47 points -110

Both of these teams are banged up and kind of desperate, and right now the Niners are in a position where they could be without Deebo Samuel and maybe even Juwan Jennings at wide receiver, with Brandon Aiyuk and Chrisitan McCaffrey already sidelined.

We saw for a brief period last season that San Francisco looked much more ordinary when missing some of these key playmakers. And QB Brock Purdy stopped drives with three interceptions against Kansas City in a ten-point loss.

The problem with the Cowboys is that the defense has been gutted by injuries. That’s why they’re really anxious to get Micah Parsons back in the lineup. Whether that will happen or not, we don’t know yet.

Dallas also can’t run the ball; they are being outrushed on a per-carry basis by one yard (4.5 ypc to 3.5 ypc). That’s a handicap.
The Cowboys are 29th in Defensive DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), and that’s not a good sign. And while they don’t run well, at last the Niners have found someone (Jordan Mason) who can plug into a running back spot.

But hey – the good news is that this team is able to escape the house of horrors known as AT&T Stadium for this week. They’ve given up 119 points at home, while their three victories have come as travelers.  

With a week off to stew over their 47-9 smackdown administered by Detroit, with national TV, and with everybody pretty much on the hot seat, don’t expect anything less than a big effort from Dallas, which is by no means out of the NFC East race. 

CAROLINA PANTHERS at DENVER BRONCOS, 4:25 PM ET Sunday

NFL Betting Odds from :

Denver Broncos -8

Carolina Panthers +8

Over 43.5 points -110

Under 43.5 points -110

Things are obviously getting pretty embarrassing for the Carolina Panthers. When you’re down 37-0 after three quarters against a Washington Commanders squad that was playing without Jayden Daniels; that Heisman Trophy being subbed by another Heisman winner, Marcus Mariota, after Daniels got hurt.

At this point in the season yet another past winner of the Heisman comes into the picture. With the November 5 NFL trade deadline upcoming, the rumors are that the Panthers are investigating the possibility of dealing Bryce Young, and if that is indeed the case, it would mean they’ve given up hope on the first pick of the 2023 draft.

That would leave a void, because Andy Dalton isn’t in the team’s future. But there’s no sense in being in “win-now” mode, since they aren’t going to win now anyway.

Carolina got ten first downs and 180 yards last week against a defense that isn’t going to win any awards. Dalton had himself a pick-six, and, well, first-year head coach Dave Canales and owner David Tepper must be scratching their heads.

So in the next draft the Panthers may just start from scratch. They are headed toward a top-three pick, in the worst case scenario.

Denver has been undervalued for a while, though whether they are here depends on your interpretation. Is Bo Nix feeling more comfortable in this offense? Yes, probably. It’s being built around what we can do. 

We like looking at the defensive numbers; the Broncos have made a remarkable turnaround from the porous stop unit that allowed Miami to top 700 yards last season. They have held four of their seven 2024 opponents below 300 yards. And this opponent might be more distressed offensively than any of them. 

They’ve got three double-digit victories as well, so this would be no surprise.

THE PLAY: BRONCOS -8 

DETROIT LIONS at TENNESSEE TITANS, 1 PM ET Sunday

NFL Betting Lines:

Detroit Lions -11.5

Tennessee Titans +11.5

Over 45.5 points -110

Under 45.4 points -110

Right now the Lions are on an emotional high, having beaten previously undefeated Minnesota in a heart-stopper to take first place in the NFC North. This game is a “sandwich” proposition of sorts, as they must travel to Green Bay, which is right in the thick of things in the division.

Detroit is the best bet to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. But pardon Dan Campbell’s team if this turns out to be something of a flat spot.

Tennessee sputters on offense, and they’ve been a turnover machine, but they probably should have a couple of more wins than they do. They have yielded fewer yards per game than anyone, and that’s even after getting shredded in the second half by Buffalo. So they have a defensive unit that should at least give them a chance to hang around.

Head coach Brian Callahan, in his first season, has reinforced that Will Levis is his starting quarterback, if healthy. Yes, it’s a process, and the Titans will pay the price for it for the time being. But veteran Mason Rudolph is not necessarily a viable alternative.

Like we said though, this is a very tricky spot for Detroit.

THE PLAY: TITANS +11.5