New Orleans Saints (10-1)
v.
Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys - Both teams are hot. Dallas looked like they were seriously struggling just a few short weeks ago, as they were 3-5 and falling dangerously behind in the NFC race. But some bad fortune on the part of other teams in the division, coupled with some very solid play by the Cowboys, suddenly saw them winning three straight and taking a share of the NFC lead with Washington. If anything, though, the Saints are even hotter, as they are 10-1 entering this game, tied for the best record in the league with the Rams, who they beat. They also have won ten straight, which is the second longest win streak in franchise history, and the longest active win streak in the league at the moment. Remember, the Cowboys were the team that ended the Saints longest win streak, when they handed the then 13-0 New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season. So, are the Saints finally due for a loss, which would be their first (and only) since opening weekend? There are some things favoring Dallas. First of all, they play at home, and that is an advantage. Also, the Cowboys have a relatively elite defense, both in terms of yards and points allowed. But they are going to need that offense to step up, with a historically great offense coming to town. New Orleans is averaging over 37 points per game, and they are simply on a roll. Atlanta's defense kept the Saints as much as they could, and the Saints still scored 31 points. In fact, in 11 games so far, only two opponents (interestingly both from the AFC North, Cleveland and Baltimore) were able to contain New Orleans to less than 30 points. That likely means that Dallas can expect the Saints to score some points, and that could be a problem, because points are a bit hard to come by for the 'Boys. Dallas has only managed two games this season scoring 30 points or more, so they likely will have to rely on their defense containing that Saints O. One bit of encouragement for the 'Boys has to be that they just scored 31 points against Washington, a tough team defensively, and they did that in a must win situation. But they really need this win, too, and New Orleans is quite a bit better than Washington. Still, Dallas has been hot lately, but this is still likely a bit too tall of an order to expect from them. My pick: New Orleans
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