{"id":14577,"date":"2024-01-12T14:05:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T14:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/?p=14577"},"modified":"2024-01-15T01:37:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T01:37:29","slug":"wild-card-showdown-cowboys-favorable-but-packers-might-just-steal-the-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wild-card-showdown-cowboys-favorable-but-packers-might-just-steal-the-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Card Showdown: Cowboys Favorable But Packers Might Just Steal the Show"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><strong>Can Dak Dazzle Against Love&#8217;s Last Stand? Cowboys Aim for Hometown Rodeo in Wild Card.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:141\"><em>AT&amp;T Stadium\u00a0<span class=\"light-text\">Arlington, TX &#8211; January 14, 2024 &#8211; 4:30 PM ET<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"3:1-3:141\">The NFL playoffs kick off with a high-octane clash in Dallas, where the Cowboys, boasting the league&#8217;s most potent offense, host the underdog Green Bay Packers, led by the enigmatic Jordan Love. While oddsmakers see Dallas cruising to victory with a 7-point spread, a closer look reveals cracks in the Cowboys&#8217; seemingly impenetrable armor that could pave the way for a Packers upset.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:29\"><strong>Top 5 NFL Betting Models<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol data-sourcepos=\"7:1-12:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:34\"><strong>SharpFootball:<\/strong> Packers +6.5<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"8:1-8:30\"><strong>QuantEdge:<\/strong>\u00a0Cowboys -6.8<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"9:1-9:28\"><strong>BetLabs:<\/strong>\u00a0Packers +7.5<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"10:1-10:35\"><strong>Action Network:<\/strong> Packers +6.5<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"11:1-12:0\"><strong>FiveThirtyEight:<\/strong>\u00a0Cowboys 64.1% win probability (translates to ~-5.5 spread)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"13:1-13:32\"><strong>BetQL and Sportsline Models<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"15:1-17:0\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"15:1-15:36\"><strong>BetQL:<\/strong> Packers +7, 51.5 points<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"16:1-17:0\"><strong>Sportsline:<\/strong>\u00a0Cowboys -7, 52 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"5:1-5:54\"><strong>Cowboys: A Hometown Juggernaut Fueled by Firepower<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:28\">\n<li data-sourcepos=\"7:1-7:28\"><strong>Dak Prescott&#8217;s Precision:<\/strong>\u00a0The Cowboys&#8217; gunslinger led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes,\u00a0orchestrating a relentless offensive machine.\u00a0His chemistry with CeeDee Lamb,\u00a0who shattered franchise records with 135 catches and 1,749 yards,\u00a0is a sight to behold.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"8:1-8:145\"><strong>Home Sweet AT&amp;T Stadium:<\/strong>\u00a0Dallas rides a 16-game winning streak under their retractable roof,\u00a0creating a deafening crowd-fueled fortress.\u00a0This home-field advantage could amplify their offensive prowess and rattle Jordan Love in his playoff debut.<\/li>\n<li data-sourcepos=\"9:1-10:0\"><strong>Experience Matters:<\/strong>\u00a0After falling short in the playoffs the past two years,\u00a0Dallas seeks redemption.\u00a0Their veteran core,\u00a0including Lamb and Ezekiel Elliott,\u00a0knows the postseason pressure and the sting of defeat,\u00a0fueling their hunger for victory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"11:1-11:61\"><strong>Packers: Underdogs with Bite &#8211; Can They Slay the Goliath?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jordan Love&#8217;s Late Surge:<\/strong>\u00a0The unproven quarterback threw 18 touchdowns against just one interception in the season&#8217;s final stretch,\u00a0leading the Packers to a remarkable 6-2 run and securing their playoff berth.\u00a0His confidence and poise under pressure could be key.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aaron Jones&#8217; Time to Shine:<\/strong>\u00a0The veteran running back is healthy and hungry,\u00a0having rushed for at least 111 yards in each of the Packers&#8217; last three wins.\u00a0His familiarity with Dallas (370 yards,\u00a06 TDs in 3 games) makes him a weapon to watch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Memories of Victory:<\/strong>\u00a0Green Bay has dominated the Cowboys lately,\u00a0winning 9 of the past 10 matchups,\u00a0including two playoff encounters.\u00a0This historical dominance could inject a shot of belief into the underdog Packers.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"17:1-17:62\"><strong>Why the Packers Can Cover the Spread (and Maybe Even Win)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jaire Alexander&#8217;s Unclear Status:<\/strong>\u00a0The Packers&#8217; top cornerback might miss the game due to injury.\u00a0His absence would significantly weaken Green Bay&#8217;s secondary,\u00a0potentially creating vulnerability for Lamb and the Cowboys&#8217; passing attack.\u00a0However,\u00a0this also exposes Dallas&#8217; potential overdependence on the pass,\u00a0making their running game and red zone efficiency critical.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Christian Watson&#8217;s X-Factor:<\/strong>\u00a0If healthy,\u00a0the young receiver could repeat his three-touchdown performance against Dallas from last season and swing the momentum in Green Bay&#8217;s favor.\u00a0His explosiveness and knack for big plays could disrupt the Cowboys&#8217; defensive strategy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pressure on Prescott:<\/strong>\u00a0While statistically dominant,\u00a0Prescott has yet to win a playoff game at home.\u00a0The Packers can exploit any lingering playoff doubts by applying relentless pressure and forcing him into mistakes.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"23:1-23:13\"><strong>The Pick<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"25:1-25:532\">The Cowboys are heavy favorites for a reason, but their reliance on Prescott&#8217;s arm and potential defensive vulnerabilities due to Alexander&#8217;s injury create a window for the Packers. Love&#8217;s late-season surge, Jones&#8217;s experience, and the historical dominance against Dallas are factors that can&#8217;t be ignored. While outright victory might be a tall order, the Packers have the ability to keep it close and cover the 7-point spread. So, the smart money might be on taking the Packers +7 and enjoying the potential for a thrilling upset.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"25:1-25:532\"><strong>Pick: Packers +7 <span style=\"color: #00ff00;\">WINNER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can Dak Dazzle Against Love&#8217;s Last Stand? Cowboys Aim for Hometown Rodeo in Wild Card. AT&amp;T Stadium\u00a0Arlington, TX &#8211; January 14, 2024 &#8211; 4:30 PM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":14584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-example-3","two-columns"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/images.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14577"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14618,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14577\/revisions\/14618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atswins.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}