Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) and New England Patriots (4-1) clash this weekend in what is sure to be a heated matchup between two playoff contenders.

The Cowboys enter the matchup coming off a bye week, and are hoping to turn things around after Tony Romo's second-half meltdown.

Things are different in New England, where they are coming off a victory over the New York Jets, and are primed to stay atop the AFC East.

Where: Gillette Stadium

When: Sunday, October 16 at 4:15 p.m. EDT

Watch: Fox, DirecTV Sunday Ticket 713

Betting Line: Dallas Cowboys (+7)

The Patriots are favored by a touchdown at home in this one, but you shouldn't get caught up in each team's record.

The Cowboys should have beaten the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions, but they faltered in the second half.

Romo and the Cowboys are coming off the bye, so they have had extra time to prepare for this one. Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was with the Cleveland Browns last year, when the Browns shocked the Patriots.

He knows exactly how to slow down Tom Brady, so look for him to keep this game close. The Cowboys may not win, but they have a good chance to, and they should cover the spread.

Over/Under: Over 55

This one is an easy over. You can't trust either of these defenses, especially New England. The Patriots can't stop anyone through the air, so Romo, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant should all have big days.

Tom Brady and the Patriots boast one of the most effective offenses in the NFL, and will also be sure to put up plenty of points this week.

Dallas Injury Report:

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Derrick Dockery	G	Knee	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Tony Fiammetta	RB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Jason Hatcher	DE	Calf	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
David Buehler	K	right Groin	Limited Participation in Practice	Out
Kyle Kosier	G	Foot	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Miles Austin	WR	Hamstring	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Dez Bryant	WR	Thigh	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Barry Church	S	Shoulder	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Felix Jones	RB	Shoulder	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Danny McCray	S	Ankle	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Tony Romo	QB	Ribs	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Orlando Scandrick	CB	Ankle	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Gerald Sensabaugh	S	Concussion	Full Participation in Practice	Probable

New England Injury Report

Player	Position	Injury	Practice Status	Game Status
Mike Wright	DE	Concussion	Did Not Participate In Practice	--
Josh Barrett	S	Thumb	Did Not Participate In Practice	Out
Leigh Bodden	CB	Thumb	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Sergio Brown	S	Chest	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Ras-I Dowling	CB	Hip	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Julian Edelman	WR	Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
BenJarvus Green-Ellis	RB	Toe	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Albert Haynesworth	DE	Back	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Aaron Hernandez	TE	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Kyle Love	DT	Back	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Jerod Mayo	LB	Knee	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Matt Slater	WR	Ribs	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Sebastian Vollmer	T	Back	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Danny Woodhead	RB	Ankle	Limited Participation in Practice	Questionable
Patrick Chung	S	Hand	Full Participation in Practice	Probable
Dane Fletcher	LB	Thumb	Full Participation in Practice	Probable

Injury reports courtesy of NFL.com.

Fantasy Big Plays

Miles Austin (WR, Dallas Cowboys)

The New England Patriots are conceding over 90 yards a game to No. 1 WRs on under 10 targets.

The Chicago Bears are currently the only team worse than covering No. 1 WRs up to this point in the season.

Austin has been out for a few weeks in order to get fresh for this game. The bye week has helped him get in some practice time, and he should be primed for a breakout performance this weekend.

Wes Welker (WR, New England Patriots)

Welker has been absolutely on fire this season. He has 45 catches for 740 yards already, and faces a Cowboys defense that gives up over 70 yards per game to No. 1 WRs.

With the way Welker and Brady are clicking right now, how could you bet against them? 

Keys to Win for Dallas Cowboys:

The Dallas Cowboys are going to need to find something in the running game if they want to beat the Patriots. The Patriots are horrible at stopping the pass, but if Dallas opts to throw the ball all game, that means they will be off the field quickly, and their defense will be on the field a lot more.

The Cowboys are also going to have to survive Tony Romo's erratic play. He has been a ticking time bomb in the second half of games, and they are going to need him to be very protective of the ball in this game.

If Dallas can run the ball well, and Romo can protect the ball, the Cowboys have a legitimate shot of leaving Foxboro with a victory.

Keys to Victory for New England Patriots:

The Patriots need to get pressure on Tony Romo who has struggled under pressure this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Romo has dropped back 161 times and been under pressure 49 times.

Of those 49 times where he has experienced pressure, he has completed just 57.5 percent of his passes. To put that in perspective, Drew Brees has completed 68.6 percent, while Rex Grossman has completed just 57.1 percent. That's right, Romo is comparable to Grossman when under pressure.

The Patriots are also going to want to run the ball in this game. They were able to knock off the Jets last week, in large part because of their run game.

The Cowboys have the best run defense in the league so far, so it's not going to be easy, but they can't afford to abandon the run early. 

Prediction:

Dallas Cowboys 27, New England Patriots 31