There are a pair of NFL betting options on the board for Monday in Week 6 with the Arizona Cardinals facing the Dallas Cowboys in the originally scheduled Monday Night Football matchup.
While the other contest on Monday features two of the AFC's top teams, this game has exciting storylines as well with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals looking to improve on their 3-2 record against the Cowboys and new starting quarterback Andy Dalton.
Here are our free NFL picks and predictions for the Cardinals vs. Cowboys on Monday, October 19 with kickoff at 8:08 p.m. ET.
Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys betting preview
Weather
It's expected to be a mild night at AT&T Stadium in Dallas with temperatures ranging from 58 to 73 degrees and winds up to 7.5 mph. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key Injuries
Cardinals: Devon Kennard LB (Questionable), Chandler Jones LB (Out), Maxx Williams TE (Out), Robert Alford CB (Out), Marcus Gilbert OT (Out)
Cowboys: Leighton Vander Esch LB (Questionable), Cam Erving T (Questionable), Tyron Smith T (Out), Dak Prescott QB (Out), Randy Gregory DE (Out), Lael Collins T (Out), Chidobie Awuzie CB (Out), Sean Lee LB (Out)
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 4-0 in the Cowboys last four games overall. Find more NFL betting trends for Cardinals vs. Cowboys.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The big news in Dallas is the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott, who had been on a record-setting pace to begin the year. Former Bengal Andy Dalton will take over the Cowboys offense and although he isn't as dynamic as Prescott, he is still a very capable passer.
Dalton went 71-60-2 as a starter for the Bungles and he's in a far better position to succeed with the weapons he has in Dallas. While the Cowboys are dealing with a bunch of injuries on their offensive line, dealing with pressure is nothing new for Dalton and he'll be helped by a season-ending injury to Arizona's best pass rusher in Chandler Jones.
The Cardinals looked great in a Week 1 upset of the 49ers but have been inconsistent since then. Sure they clobbered the New York Jets and Washington, but who hasn't? And they've also lost to a couple of mediocre squads in the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions.
Dallas leads the league with 488 yards per game and is third with 32.6 points per game, and while they might not be quite as explosive without Prescott under center they should be able to take care of business at home.
PREDICTION: Dallas +1.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The Cardinals are 5-0 to the Under due to their seemingly big improvement on the defensive side of the ball. After surrendering a league-worst 402 yards per game last season, the Cards are holding opponents to 346.6 yards and 20.4 points per game this year. But don't be so quick to credit their stop-unit.
Arizona has played against the league's two worst offenses in Washington and the Jets and the highest-scoring team they've faced are the 49ers, who rank 18th in the league in points with 24.8 ppg.
Sure the Cowboys have a bad defense, but part of the reason they give up so many points is because of how quickly their offense scores. The Cowboys average time of possession per drive is just 2:17, which is absolutely insane when you consider that they are fifth in the league at 42 yards per drive.
That quick-strike offense will lead to a lot of possessions for both teams, which should result in plenty of points on Monday night.
PREDICTION: Over 55 (-110)
First Quarter Pick
The Cowboys defense has been a sieve, allowing a league-high 36 points per game. They've been especially brutal in the early going, surrendering 11.4 points per game in the first quarter, which is not just the worst number in the league but is a whopping 3.2 ppg higher than second-worst Cleveland.
Thanks to sophomore dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals offense has gotten off to fast starts, averaging 7 ppg in the opening 15 minutes. But with Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper & Co., the Cowboys certainly have the offensive talent to respond. Take the Over on the first quarter total.
PREDICTION: First quarter total Over 10 (-125)
Cardinals vs Cowboys betting card
- Dallas +1.5 (-110)
- Over 55 (-110)
- First quarter total Over 10 (-125)
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