Packers vs Cowboys Free Picks: Can Love Lead GB to Win?
Dallas Looks to End Dismal Playoff Performances
The Green Bay Packers visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in what could be a decent game. The Packers are playing well and Dallas did what was needed to win the division. This will be Jordan Love’s first foray into the playoffs as a starter.
Dak Prescott has been there before, but is just 2-4 in the postseason after being ousted by the 49ers the past two seasons. The Cowboys opened as 7.5-point favorites but the point spread is down to Dallas -7 (-115). The total has moved from 49.5 to 50.5. Dallas is -350 on the moneyline. In Packers vs Cowboys free picks, we’ll look to find the best value play on the board.
Packers vs Cowboys 
Day/Time:
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Love Rises to the Occasion
After the Packers began the season 2-5, people had to be wondering if Green Bay made the correct call in letting Aaron Rodgers leave. But a 7-3 finish to the season has taken care of that. It doesn’t hurt that Love threw 18 touchdowns against one interception over the last eight NFL games.
He’s clearly Green Bay’s quarterback of the present. It helps that he has a decent running game behind him. The Packers averaged 4.3 yards per rush during the season. The Packers were 5-2 when rushing for at least 120 yards during the season.
With Love at the helm, Green Bay averaged 233.4 passing yards per game. The Packers were also 5-2 when throwing for at least 250 yards in a game. Green Bay threw for more than 300 yards just once during the season. That occurred in the final regular season against Chicago.
Green Bay is pretty average defensively. The Packers don’t have any real strengths, but they don’t have any real weakness. The defense hasn’t been asked to win games, just go out there and give the team a chance to win.
The Packers should be confident heading into this game. Green Bay made up ground in the wild card standings at the end of the season to grab the final playoff spot. The Packers dominated Minnesota in a must-win game and then dispatched of the Bears in the season finale.
Cowboys Tough at Home
The Packers vs Cowboys free picks note Dallas is undefeated at home this season, where it went 6-2 against the point spread. But the playoffs are a different matter and the Cowboys have had their struggles in the postseason lately.
Dallas is on a 1-5 point spread run in the playoffs and are just 2-5 straight-up over its last seven playoff games. The Cowboys have too much talent not to do better in the NFL playoffs.
Dallas had its share of troubles against good teams this season. The Cowboys are 2-5 against the spread when playing any of the other playoff teams. Then there’s the inexcusable loss to the Arizona Cardinals early in the year.
The Cowboys were solid on offense this year and were helped by a +10 in turnovers. Dallas averaged 371.6 total yards per game. The Cowboys averaged 112.9 rushing yards per game this season, but were 10-1 straight-up when running for at least 100 yards. Dallas was 8-3 against the point spread in those games.
The Cowboys were solid on defense and especially tough to throw against. Dallas allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 60.5% of their passes for 6.3 yards per attempt. The Cowboys were tied for No. 7 in yards per play allowed.
What to Expect
At this point in the season, it’s unusual for NFL teams to change much. They could run a few more times than normal or throw a couple extra passes in a game. But that’s pretty much the extent of things.
The Packers need to run the football some. No matter how well Love played down the stretch, you don’t want him dropping back to pass every play. The pass rush will get to him.
The Cowboys will let Prescott do his thing. Dallas is better throwing the ball than running and that’s what it needs to stick with. You need your big-time NFL players to perform in the postseason.
Who to Bet On?
The Packers vs Cowboys free picks definitely won’t be on the total in this one. It’s a high number, but both teams are capable of putting up the points. A lot of things have to happen for the game to get there. But from a betting standpoint, it’s one of the tougher games on the NFL wild card schedule to predict.
Green Bay was just 4-5 against the NFL scores and odds on the road this season, but won its last two road games. The Packers have also covered the last four games against Dallas and have dominated the series recently, winning nine of the last 10 games. The Packers may not win the game, but Green Bay +7 (-105) is probably the right side here.
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