NFL Week 9 Free Pick: Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

The good news for the Cowboys is that owner Jerry Jones has at least guaranteed the coaching staff, including HC Wade Phillips, will have their jobs for the rest of the season regardless if the team ends up going 10-6 or 1-15. On the field, things are still a wreck, though. QB Jon Kitna, making his first start since his days with the Cincinnati Bengals, did throw for nearly 400 yards last weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was also picked off four times. Needless to say, missing the injured QB Tony Romo is very, very costly. Still, the offense doesn’t seem to be the problem, as this unit is putting up 381.3 yards per game, good enough for No. 4 in the NFL. The issue is now the defense, which has been miserable of late. The Cowboys have allowed an average of 33.5 points per game since their bye week, and needless to say, they are 0-4 SU and ATS in that run of bad play. If you’re looking for a straw to grasp at, the Cowboys only committed three penalties last weekend against the Jags, a season low in a year in which yellow hankies have absolutely killed them.

Meanwhile, the Packers are coming off of their biggest game of the season. Their 9-0 win at New Meadowlands Stadium against the New York Jets was definitely a monumental one. It marked the first shutout of the season in NFL betting action across the league, and it was also the first game of the year without a touchdown in it. The ‘W’ also marked Green Bay’s first shutout on the road since 1991. The defense has to be swarming with confidence after a relatively tough season. LB Clay Matthews has 9.5 sacks this season and still has his sights set on the single season sack record. On the other side of the ball, we’re still searching for a Green Bay running game. RB Brandon Jackson only has 418 yards on the ground this year, and the Pack rank No. 22 in the league on the ground at 97.0 YPG. Something just doesn’t seem quite right with the passing game, too. QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 2,011 yards this year, but his 61.3 completion percentage seems awfully low, while a 12/9 TD/INT ratio leaves a lot to be desired as well.

We have to remember that Green Bay didn’t score a touchdown last week against the Jets, and they really haven’t played a truly stellar game since Week 2 of the campaign. Now that perception has really left the Cowboys probably once and for all, this might be the time to push the envelope on the men with stars on their helmets. We aren’t so sure that the Packers are all that great. This is a lot of points to be given in any NFL betting affair, and we’re going to take advantage of them.