The Dallas Cowboys are set to battle the Cincinnati Bengals in a Monday Night Football showdown between two underperforming teams, each for starkly different reasons.
The Cincinnati Bengals have largely underachieved due to a deterioration of their running game due to the departure of veteran star running back Joe Mixon, and poor play from their defensive unit.
A disproportionately large contingent of the Bengals’ salary that they have been forced to dedicate to their extremely talented wide receiver and quarterback Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow has left large holes in their roster.
The Cowboys have largely underachieved due to their injuries to stars Micah Parsons, who has recently returned, quarterback Dak Prescott, who has yet to return from a hamstring injury, and star defensive end Demarcus Lawrence.
The loss of legendary offensive lineman Tyron Smith, who has struggled with the New York Jets, has also been heavily felt by a Cowboys team that has struggled to protect the quarterback and maintain a running game. Injuries to right guard Zack Martin have also been a contributor to the Cowboys’ offensive woes this season.
The defense under Mike Zimmer has also disappointed, seeing a steep drop-off in the face of the departure of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Cowboys Heavy Underdogs
Heading into Monday night’s game, Dallas is a heavy underdog in the game, giving bettors a +100 line on the moneyline. The Bengals are favored by 4.5 points in the game, which will be played in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium.
Though they are favorites in this game, the Bengals have long struggled against the Cowboys, especially to Cowboys backup Cooper Rush, who defeated Cincinatti during his last tenure as the Cowboys quarterback.
Rush played perhaps his best game on Thanksgiving, defeating the division rival New York Giants on national television.
This game will provide Rush yet another opportunity to shine in the spotlight of primetime.
Notable Injuries
Cowboys defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence will not play in tonight’s game, depsite speculation by some within the Cowboys organization that the star end might have returned for the matchup.
The Bengals will be without Orlando Brown Jr., their star left tackle, and they will also miss defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.
A relatively light injury report for tonight’s late-season matchup.
