Ricky Dimon
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Two of the most historic franchises in NFL history will be squaring off when the Dallas Cowboys host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. Of course, at present that is where the similarities between these two teams come to a sudden end. They are nearing the two opposite extremes in our current power rankings, with Pittsburgh coming in second behind Kansas City and Dallas registering in third-to-last. Needless to say, this probably isn’t going to be a good game (unless you are a Stephen A. Smith kind of Cowboys hater).
If you want to add a little life to what will probably be a laugher of a contest, a same-game parlay may be the way to go. And it could be a profitable way, too. Let’s take a look at the best such option for this matchup, and be sure to check out our full preview of the game for picks on the side and total.
Steelers -19.5 alternate spread (+170)
Ben Roethlisberger Over 261.5 passing yards (-110)
James Conner Over 80.5 rushing yards (-110)
Amari Cooper Over 42.5 receiving yards (-110)
Parlay odds: +1128
The value of same-game parlays, of course, is that all four components of it can be correlated if you so choose. That’s part the plan for this particularly play, as we feel good about the Steelers dominating and they obviously have a better chance of doing so if Ben Roethlisberger and James Conner rack up big numbers. A good game for Dallas receiver Amari Cooper may not correlate, but–let’s be honest–really how big of a game is 42.5 yards? Cooper can cover that comfortably and the Cowboys still might not score more than a few points…if any!
Steelers -19.5 alternate spread (+170)
Although you don’t want to get completely carried away with NFL spreads, this is a big one that can be covered—even teasing it up from -13.5 to -19.5, which has good value at +170. In fact, we just hit a -19.5 play when Kansas City went up against the winless Jets last week. The Cowboys are utterly hopeless right now, in part because they are down to their fourth quarterback (Garrett Gilbert). Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL.
Ben Roethlisberger Over 261.5 passing yards (-110)
The only bad news for Roethlisberger in terms of individual statistics is that the Steelers are going to be playing from ahead the whole game and therefore he won’t be passing much in the second. However, the good news is that he could be close to this number (261.5) by halftime. The Dallas secondary has given up 18 touchdowns while picking off just three passes so far this season. It’s a unit that won’t be able to contain Roethlisberger, who is in the MVP discussion while being the favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.
James Conner Over 80.5 rushing yards (-110)
Although we have the under in our game preview, it is well within reason for both Roethlisberger and Conner to be productive and for the under to nonetheless hit. After all, it is hard to see the Cowboys contributing to much of the scoring. The Steelers could score into the 30s and the under would probably still have a good chance of cashing. Anyway, back to Conner…. He has exceeded this number (80.5) in four of the past seven contests. Dallas is 30th in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt allowed and they are giving up more than one rushing touchdown per game.
Amari Cooper Over 42.5 receiving yards (-110)
No, Gilbert does not inspire any confidence. However, the Cowboys are going to have to pass, pass, and pass the ball some more if they want to win or even be competitive on Sunday. And they do want to win, because even at 2-6 they are still (somehow!) in very realistic NFC East title contention. This number (42.5) just isn’t big; it’s one that Cooper has blown past in six of eight games this year.
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