The Dallas Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in a game that lacks meaning in the standings — but could feature a lot of offence.
The pregame narrative: I like the over in this game, and I expect Chase Brown to be heavily involved for the visiting Bengals.
Check out my Bengals vs. Cowboys best bets for Monday Night Football on Dec. 9.
Bengals vs. Cowboys best bets
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Best Bet: Brown over 103.5 rushing/receiving yards (-120)
Brown had his most efficient performance in months last Sunday, churning for 100 scrimmage yards on just 15 touches.
The Bengals’ fifth-ranked scoring offence has a lot of mouths to feed, so it’s not always possible to saddle Brown with a hefty workload.
But Brown, who’s had 14-plus touches in eight of nine games since Week 4, has a high floor for usage. And he should thrive against the Cowboys’ pitiful run defence:
- 31st in rush yards/game
- 28th in rush yards/attempt
- 32nd in EPA/rush, per rbsdm.com
I don’t simply want to back Brown as a runner, though, because he’s enjoyed some solid work in the receiving game.
Brown has multiple receptions in 11 of 12 games, and he has 30-plus receiving yards in four straight.
The London, Ontario native is a reasonable pick to go over his yardage props as a runner or receiver. So why not put ’em together?
Key stat: Brown has averaged 123.5 scrimmage yards in his past four games.
Quick pick
Over 49.5 points (-110): Neither the Cowboys nor the Bengals are on a path to the playoffs, but they’re both capable of putting up points.
And just as importantly, they’re capable of allowing points.
Dallas and Cincinnati’s scoring defences rank 29th and 31st, respectively, in the NFL. Both teams are allowing more than 28.0 PPG.
The Bengals have cleared this total in five straight games and nine of 12 on the year. Their defence takes plenty of punches, but quarterback Joe Burrow knows how to punch back.
As for the Cowboys, they’ve put up 61 points over the past two weeks and should be at least competent with Cooper Rush. Overs are 5-1 at AT&T Stadium this season.
Picks made at 4:50 p.m. ET 12/07/2024.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.