In analyzing the lines for the three American Thanksgiving contests on Thursday, there is one major surprise. That is the fact that the 6-5 Dallas Cowboys are a 6.5 point favourite against the 8-3 Buffalo Bills.
Yes, the game is in Dallas, where the Cowboys are 31-19-1 all-time on Thanksgiving. However, they will be playing a very good and underrated Bills team on Thursday, who seems to be playoff-bound in the AFC.
Where Buffalo has the edge is on defense. They have given up 173 points this season, compared to the 210 points the Cowboys have given up.
It has been a great season so far for Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White of Shreveport, Louisiana. White leads the team with four interceptions and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with two. White is tied with safety Jordan Poyer in that category. White also has 50 tackles and even one sack.
The Bills have also been very effective on the road this season. In five games, they have a record of four wins and one loss. Buffalo opened the season with two wins at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and New York Giants. They have also beaten a decent 6-5 Tennessee Titans team on the road as well as in Miami. Their only road loss came to Cleveland on November 10 by a score of 19-16.
The Cowboys have lost twice at home this season to the NFC North superpowers Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. The Vikings and Packers have the same record of 8-3 as the Bills and have beaten Dallas by a combined total of two converted touchdowns.
The Cowboys have the better offense and deserve to be a slight favourite by being at home. However, a line of 6.5 points appears to be too much.
