SAINTS (10-1) AT COWBOYS (6-5)
TV: Fox, NFL, 8:20 p.m.
Line: Saints by 7; O/U: 52
With both teams playing on Thanksgiving, Saints-Cowboys is the first Thursday night game since the NFL opener in which short rest isn't a factor. Not that it would matter for the Saints, who look as if nothing _ and no one _ can stop them. New Orleans hasn't lost since Week 1, and its 10-game win streak consists of an astonishing nine straight covers.
With the exception of close wins over the Browns in Week 2 (21-18), Falcons in Week 3 (43-37 in OT) and Ravens in Week 7 (24-23), the Saints have won every other game by double digits. Just look at these scores:
Saints 33, Giants 18
Saints 43, Redskins 19
Saints 30, Vikings 20
Saints 45, Rams 35
Saints 51, Bengals 14
Saints 48, Eagles 7
Saints 31, Falcons 17
They've dominated the NFC East (as you can see by the above scores), and while the Cowboys should put up the best fight, they'll still lose by 10 or more. The Saints are just too unstoppable to bet against, from Drew Brees' MVP campaign (29 TDs, 2 INTs) to star receiver Michael Thomas, to the two-headed rushing attack of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. While the offense gets all the attention, the defense has stepped up its game. The Saints allow an NFL-low 73.2 rushing yards per game. Stopping Ezekiel Elliott will be key, and the Saints will be happy to let Dak Prescott try and beat them.
The Cowboys have won three in a row to move into a first-place tie, and while I still think they will win the NFC East, they're not winning this game. They're overmatched, and they didn't help matters when defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had an expletive-filled rant about how the Saints' offensive line won't be able to match Dallas' intensity. The Saints' O-line has been dominant and is a big reason for the 10-1 start. The big guys up front will get the last laugh. So will Saints coach Sean Payton, who has no problem running up the score (just ask the Bengals and Eagles).
Add this one to the list:
Saints 34, Cowboys 23
The pick: Saints
