Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints 2019: Prediction, Betting Odds For Week 4 Sunday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys have put themselves in a position to be considered the best team in the NFC. Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season should be a good litmus test regarding their true place in the conference.

After getting off to a 3-0 start, Dallas is a road favorite against the team that nearly reached the Super Bowl in February. The Cowboys are laying 2.5 points in their game against the New Orleans Saints on “Sunday Night Football,” according to the latest betting line at OddsShark.

This isn’t the same Saints’ team that began the season with the NFC’s best odds to win the title. Drew Brees will miss his second straight game because of a thumb injury.

New Orleans is no pushover with Brees on the sidelines. Teddy Bridgewater is a top backup quarterback. The veteran led the Saints to a 33-27 road victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. He hasn’t been picked off in 57 pass attempts this season.

Bridgewater didn’t put up big numbers in New Orleans’ win. He only threw for 177 yards on 27 pass attempts. Alvin Kamara did most of the work, totaling many of his 92 receiving yards after the catch in addition to his 16 rushes for 69 yards.

Kamara scored two touchdowns. The Saints scored both a defensive and special teams touchdown.

Just as New Orleans’ 1-0 record without Brees must be put into context, so must Dallas’ 3-0 record. No one has had a softer schedule to start the season than the Cowboys.

Sunday’s contest will easily be Dallas’ toughest test thus far.

The Cowboys have wins over the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. Those teams have a combined 1-8 record. Dallas still hasn’t beaten a quarterback that’s picked up a win this season.

A lot has been made about Dallas’ improved offense under new coordinator Kellen Moore. The unit certainly looks like one of the NFL’s best with an elite offensive line and Dak Prescott leading all NFC quarterbacks with a 128.0 passer rating.

Keeping up that pace in one of the league’s most difficult road environments won’t be easy. Sunday’s over/under is 47.

Miami, New York and Washington have quite literally been the NFL’s worst teams when it comes to keeping their opponents out of the end zone. They all rank in the bottom three of the league in points allowed.

The Saints were able to keep Russell Wilson and the Seahawks in check last week. Seattle only had 14 points until the game was out of hand and they scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes.

The Los Angeles Rams struggled to move the ball against the Saints in Week 2 more than the final score of their 27-9 victory might suggest. If it hadn’t been for Cooper Kupp’s 66-yard reception in the fourth quarter, L.A. would’ve only averaged 5.2 yards per play.

It takes a lot to beat New Orleans at the Superdome.

The Rams did it in the playoffs when the officials infamously missed a pass interference call. The Carolina Panthers did it in Week 17 of last season when the Saints rested their starters. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed 48 points and an epic performance from Ryan Fitzpatrick to beat New Orleans by a touchdown in the 2018 opener. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were the only road team to beat the Saints in 2017.

Dallas might very well be a better team than New Orleans when Bridgewater is under center instead of Brees. That doesn’t mean they are going to steal a win on the road.

The Cowboys beat the Saints as home underdogs in a low-scoring affair during primetime last season. The roles will be reversed this time around.

Prediction: New Orleans over Dallas, 20-17