Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals 2017: Monday Night Football Prediction, Betting Odds

The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals will play the final game on the schedule for Week 3 of the 2017 NFL season when they meet on “Monday Night Football.” Both teams are 1-1 with an early share of first place in their respective divisions.

The latest betting odds have Dallas favored by three points on the road, via OddsShark, and the over/under is 47. Here’s a closer look at the Week 3 game, as well as a prediction against the spread:

Why the Cowboys could cover the spread

Everything that could go wrong for Dallas did in Week 2. From Ezekiel Elliott having his worst game as a pro and giving up on plays, to Dak Prescott hurting his ankle and members of the secondary being forced out of the game with injuries, it’s hard to believe that the Cowboys will have a worse loss in 2017 than their 42-17 defeat in Denver.

Most importantly for Dallas, the Cardinals are not the Broncos. Denver looks like a Super Bowl contender with an elite defense and a much-improved offense. After losing in Detroit and needing overtime to beat arguably the NFL’s worst team, Arizona might be lucky to finish the season at .500.

Carson Palmer completed less than 53 percent of his passes against a bad Colts defense while throwing yet another interception. Set to turn 38 years old later this season, the quarterback might be in the twilight of his career. He hasn’t been given much support by his offensive line, and he could be just as ineffective against Dallas as Eli Manning was in the Cowboys’ 19-3 win over the New York Giants in Week 1.

Dak Prescott threw two interceptions against Denver for just the second time in his career. He’ll bounce back against an Arizona defense that let Matthew Stafford throw four touchdown passes in the season opener.

It was just two weeks ago that Elliott ran for over 100 yards against a terrific Giants defense. If Palmer commits a few turnovers, as he’s been prone to do, Dallas will feed their star running back and let him do the rest.

Why the Cardinals could cover the spread

It might be a mistake to throw dirt on Palmer’s career just yet. Even if he is no longer one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, he can still have his moments, especially when facing questionable pass defenses. Dallas certainly falls into that category after making Trevor Siemian look like Peyton Manning.

Defensive backs Chidobe Awuzie and Nolan Carroll left Dallas’ Week 2 game with injuries, and cornerback Orlando Scandrick didn’t play because of a broken hand. Even without running back David Johnson, NFC Offensive Player of the Week J.J. Nelson and Larry Fitzgerald give Palmer weapons that can take advantage of a depleted defense.

Elliott is going to total far more than the eight rushing yards he had a week ago, though Monday might be one of his biggest tests of the year. Arizona was third in opponents’ yards per carry last season, and they rank fourth through two games in 2017. The Cowboys are 0-2 when Elliott averages fewer than 3.9 yards per attempt.

Winning on the road in the NFL isn’t easy, and it could be a mistake to judge a team harshly based on a victory away from home, no matter how bad the opponent might be. A week after the Atlanta Falcons barely survived in Chicago, they were dominant at home against the Green Bay Packers. A week before defeating the Minnesota Vikings by 17 points in Pittsburgh, the Steelers barely edged the Browns by a field goal in Cleveland.

Coming off a close road win in Indianapolis, the Cardinals might be due for a big game when they play in Arizona for the first time this regular season.

Prediction

It still isn’t clear that the Cowboys are three points better than the Cardinals on a neutral field, which the betting line indicates. Dallas has holes in the secondary, and their passing game has not been up to par through two games.

Palmer was much better at home last year than he was on the road, throwing 10 fewer interceptions with a passer rating that was 19 points higher. If he avoids throwing the ball to Dallas defenders, Arizona can pull off the upset.

Arizona over Dallas, 27-20