Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys Betting Preview/Prop Picks
17 September 2022
Time: 4:25 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 140.104; Dallas 129.592
Dunkel Line & Total: Cincinnati by 10 ½; 46
Vegas Line & Total: Cincinnati by 7; 44
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-7); Over
The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough start to their 2022-23 season. Joe Burrow had an uncharacteristic game, but somehow, they nearly won. After a close 23-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals will head out to Dallas.
Facing a beat-up Cowboys group, the Bengals will look to earn their first win of the season. They'll first need to make sure they protect the ball.
The Dallas Cowboys have lost Dak Prescott for a short time as he wasn't put on IR. Instead of Prescott, the Cowboys will start Cooper Rush, who took over for him last week.
The Cowboys had a tough time getting the ball moving last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Only scoring three points, the Cowboys will hope to have a much better outing against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals: Several players questionable for Sunday
The Cincinnati Bengals started the season with a 0-1 record. The offense broke down in Week 1, with Joe Burrow throwing four interceptions on the day.
He paired those interceptions with 338 yards and two touchdowns. Although the Bengals turned the ball over five times, they still only lost by three points. This week, Burrow needs to focus on playing a clean game.
Something the Bengals did really well last week was running the ball. Cincinnati put up 133 total rushing yards, most of which were from Joe Mixon.
The starting running back had 27 carries for 82 yards. In Week 2, the Bengals need to establish the run and then attack the Cowboys'
secondary, which struggled last week. The question is, can they cover the seven-point spread?
Dallas Cowboys: Cooper Rush is ready to start for Week 2
After a 19-3 loss to the season, Dallas is hoping to have a much better outing. Tasked with running the offense is Cooper Rush, who has experience under center.
Last season, Rush got the start against the Minnesota Vikings. He went 24-40 with 325 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in a 20-16 victory. Rush is an adequate quarterback that fits the lineup well.
Last week, the Cowboys' offense had a hard time moving the ball down the field. We feel that they abandoned the running game early, and they need to get back to basics.
Ezekiel Elliot had ten carries for 52 yards but didn't play much of a factor last week. Instead, the Cowboys tried to force the ball through the air, which resulted in only three points.
Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys Betting Pick
Interestingly enough, the Cowboys have gone 3-0 against the Bengals in the last three meetings. Their most recent game was in 2020, when the Cowboys beat the Bengals 30-7.
One thing you need to keep in mind, however, is that Joe Burrow wasn't in the lineup. The reason why the Bengals come in as a heavy favorite is that they're a much better team.
Cooper Rush getting the start doesn't increase the chances for the Cowboys to cover, either. Dallas will likely go with a more conservative game plan to prevent the chances of turnovers.
Because of this, we'll go with the Bengals, who nearly got a win even though they turned the ball over five times.
DunkelIndex Free Pick: Cincinnati Bengals -7, OVER
Prop Picks
Cincinnati (-110) OVER 24.5 Points
Cincinnati averaged 26.3 points per game last season on offense, which ranked No. 9 in the NFL. Dallas allowed 21.2 points per game last season on defense, which ranked No. 8 in the NFL. That average increased to 22.2 points per game at home. Scores have gone OVER in 17 of the Cowboys’ 25 games following an ATS loss.
With Dunkel predicting an Cincinnati victory by the score of 28-18, take the Bengals (-110) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 24.5 points against the Cowboys.
Cooper Rush (-125) OVER 219.5 Passing Yards
Dallas averaged 279.4 passing yards per game last season on offense, which ranked No. 4 in the NFL. Cincinnati allowed 248.7 passing yards per game last season on defense, which ranked No. 26 in the NFL.
With Dunkel predicting the final score going OVER the Vegas point total, take Rush (-125) to finish OVER 219.5 passing yards versus the Bengals.
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