Henry Roldán
The Dallas Cowboys have fought against all odds to post a 3-1 record this season, and in Week 5 of action of NFL, they will face no easy task when they take on Los Angeles Rams as visitors at SoFi Stadium.
To do so, they will have to rely, once again, on the power of their defense, the same one that has kept afloat a team that after losing the first week against the Buccaneers and seeing Dak Prescott leave with a hand injury, projected a very complex season.
Against the Rams, a team that in the first four weeks has not been able to show a level similar to that of the last championship when they won the Vince Lombardi Trophy, this defense has a good chance to succeed precisely because of the poor performance shown by Matthew Stafford so far.
Not only has the quarterback been off-target by totaling just four touchdowns and co-leading the circuit in interceptions with six, but he has also been pressured by opponents by being caught 16 times, the second most in 2022. The best for Dallas? This year they are second in sacks of opposing QBs with 15.0 and are third in fewest points allowed per duel with 15.5.
On the offensive side, things have not been so bad either. Cooper Rush has been able to respond as Prescott’s replacement and is currently undefeated in his three starts. Dallas’ good defense has helped him with just four touchdowns to lead the team’s offense, and he has not thrown an interception after 102 throws so far.
Something he should continue to exploit this coming Sunday considering that the Rams defense has not been as sharp as last year, allowing 341.5 total yards per game and 23.5 points.
Predictions, Odds and Betting Preview for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season
Moneyline (+185 from BetMGM)
Of course, for the Las Vegas sportsbooks, the Cowboys do not come into this game as favorites despite having a better record than the Rams. Why do we state this? They are playing as visitors and Los Angeles is expected to wake up at a moment’s notice as they have a similar quality squad to last year.
That doesn’t mean Dallas can’t surprise. The defense has all the arguments to bother Stafford at home and stop the Rams’ powerful aerial game, which they have not been able to fully deploy due to the quarterback’s poor performance.
The question mark rests on offense, as the Cowboys have been unable to establish the ground attack with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, while Rush will face the best defense he has faced this year next to the Giants. Will he be able to keep up his pace? A possible surprise in the fifth week depends on it.
Spread (+5.5 from BetMGM)
The Dallas defense is capable of keeping this game fairly close. One Rams’ victory came by four points and the other by eight, although on that occasion they only scored 20 points. On three occasions this year Los Angeles scored 20 points or less and we don’t expect them to put on a festival against the Cowboys.
This season Dallas is 3-1 against the spread and 5-0 in its last five away games. For their part, the Rams play 1-3 this season against the spread, but lifetime, in the series between the two teams, the home side has a 7-2 record and the favorite is 5-2 in this situation.
Over/Under (+43 from BetMGM)
As we have already mentioned, this game will not exactly be a points festival. Dallas’ defense has been superlative and the Rams’ defense has the case to be one of the best in the circuit.
The Cowboys have not scored more than 25 points this season and have not conceded more than 19, while the Rams’ offense has only scored more than 20 points in one game, although their defense averages almost 24 points per game.
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Dallas Cowboys Future Odds after Week 4
Over/Under wins in the season: Over 9.5 (-164 by BetMGM) / Under 9.5 (+135 by BetMGM)
The Cowboys have been able to navigate a somewhat difficult schedule so far, but the next two weeks will be a true test for them when they must visit the Rams and then the Eagles, the only undefeated team in the circuit and a direct rival in the NFC East.
If his recovery continues, Prescott could return for the game against Philadelphia, but it still looks difficult for the Cowboys to reach the 10-win mark. In weeks 10 and 11 they must visit the Packers and Vikings back-to-back, while in week 15 they go to Jacksonville and finish the season at the home of the Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders. Except for this last duel, all the others look quite complex.
By winning at least two visits and five of their seven remaining home games, something feasible considering their opponents, Dallas could reach the 10-win mark for the second season in a row.
Cowboys win NFC East (+350 from BetMGM)
The Cowboys went from (+500) to (+5350) thanks to Sunday’s win over the Commanders which puts them second in the division. However, the good start of the Eagles, who are still undefeated and have won comfortably, keeps them as favorites to win the group.
In Week 6 Dallas and Philadelphia meet and possibly Dak Prescott will be back. So continuing the good streak against the Rams is the option they have to fight for the first place in the division next week.
Cowboys win NFC Conference ( +1100 from BetMGM)
Although Dallas dropped from (+1800) to (+1100) thanks to their 25-10 win over the Commanders, the strong schedule and doubts in their offense, especially on the ground, make it very difficult to project coach Mike McCarthy’s team as a possible favorite to win the AFC over the Rams, Buccaneers, Packers and the Eagles themselves.
Cowboys win Super Bowl (+2500 from BetMGM)
As for their potential Super Bowl win, Dallas needs Prescott to get healthy as soon as possible if they want to have a modicum of hope. Defense will play an important role, but without offense the Cowboys will not be able to beat either the NFC powerhouses or AFC favorites like the Bills, Chiefs or Chargers.
Micah Parsons wins the DPOY (+175 from BetMGM) +250
Despite not adding any catches in the last two weeks, Micah Parsons remains the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. The Cowboys linebacker is tied for fifth in catches with four and with the uncertainty of the severity of Myles Garrett’s injury following a traffic accident, Parsons took on greater favoritism.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. We invite you to read our reviews!
