Redskins vs Cowboys Week 17 NFL Online Odds Preview

Posted by Aaron . on December 30, 2015 in

The Dallas Cowboys (4-11) are somehow a four-point favorite over the Washington Redskins (8-7) in Week 17 as Washington heads to Dallas for the season finale. The Redskins have clinched the NFC East title by virtue of their big win in Philadelphia last week, while Dallas is coming off a loss in Buffalo last week. To check the latest NFL online odds for Week 17, click here.

Why should you pick the Cowboys (-4)?

Dallas is likely to see a crew of backups when Washington takes the field next week, as coach Jay Gruden is likely to give many of his starters a rest. This means that Kirk Cousins could sit on the bench and watch backup Colt McCoy run the offense. Of course, that’s the same Colt McCoy who led the Redskins to a win in Dallas last year, but the Cowboys defense is a little bit better this year and could help the backup quarterback of their own, Kellen Moore, lead the way to a season sweep of the Redskins.

The Redskins did what almost no one thought, they won their division.

Why should you take Washington (+4)?

If Dallas loses, they are guaranteed one of the top five picks in the 2016 draft. If they win, they could fall out of the top five with a 5-11 record. Head coach Jason Garrett doesn’t seem like someone who would welcome tanking, and Jerry Jones is always a competitive owner, but it would be smarter for the Cowboys to end up on the short end of this one. Also, with the exception of the win in Washington, the Cowboy offense has been awful without Tony Romo at the helm.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Watching the Cowboys lose in Buffalo last week convinced me that the team is mailing it in, at least on offense. I like Washington to come to Dallas and complete a 4-12 marathon in futility for the Cowboys, winning 16-9 (and covering the spread).