Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys Preseason NFL Picks & Predictions 8/19/2017

Saturday, August 19, 2017

AT&T Stadium

Get todays NFL Odds & Lines on this game

The Dallas Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, August 19, 2017. The opening line for this game has Dallas as 6 point favorites. The over/under has been set at 38.5. The Cowboys had an over/under record of 7-10-0 and they were 10-7-0 against the spread last year. The Colts had an ATS record of 7-8-1 while their over/under record was 9-7-0.

Valuable Indianapolis Colts Betting Trends

The Indianapolis Colts were 9-7-0 against the over/under last season

The Indianapolis Colts were 7-8-1 against the spread last year

Important Dallas Cowboys Betting Trends

The Dallas Cowboys were 7-10-0 against the over/under last season

The Dallas Cowboys were 10-7-0 against the spread last year

Key Indianapolis Colts Injuries

08/12/17 C Ryan Kelly Foot "?" Sunday vs. LA Rams
07/30/17 S Clayton Geathers Neck PUP
07/29/17 QB Andrew Luck Shoulder "?" Sunday vs. LA Rams

Key Dallas Cowboys Injuries

08/12/17 DT Tyrone Crawford Ankle "?" Sunday vs. New York Giants
08/11/17 RB Ezekiel Elliott Suspension 6-game suspension (eligible to return 10/29 vs. Washington)
07/22/17 DL David Irving Suspension expected to miss weeks 1-4

Useful Offensive Statistics

The Indianapolis Colts ran for 1,628 yards as a team last year, which ranked 23rd in the NFL. They ran 409 times, averaging 4 yards per carry as a rushing unit. The Colts were penalized on offense 103 times for 883 yards last season, which had them 21st in the league in penalties. They were 8th in the NFL in points scored with 411. They ran 1,037 plays last season for 5,830 yards, which ranked them 10th in the league in total offense. The Colts averaged 5.6 yards per play, which was 13th in the National Football League. As a team they accumulated a total of 351 1st downs last year, placing them 6th overall as an offensive unit. Scott Tolzien averaged 5.8 yards per pass attempt and 9.4 yards per completion last season. He completed 23 passes on 37 attempts for a completion percentage of 62.2%. His QBR last year was 31.8 while is quarterback rating was 64.7. He threw for 216 yards.

Defensive Statistics

The Colts rush defense allowed 409 attempts for 1,926 yards last year, putting them in 25th place in the league against the run. Indianapolis committed 125 penalties for 1155 yards on the defensive side of the ball last season. That ranked them 31st in the NFL. They gave up a score on 41.5% of possessions on defense, which was 30th in the league. They were 22nd in the league in points allowed on defense with 392. They surrendered a total of 6,126 yards on D, which was 30th in the NFL. The Colts were ranked 30th in yards per play allowed with 6. Their pass defense gave up 6.8 net yards per pass attempt, placing them 25th in the league as a unit. Opposing offenses completed 378 passes on 582 attempts against the Indianapolis Colts defense last season, placing them 23rd and 19th in the National Football League. The Indianapolis pass defense also gave up a total of 4,200 yards through the air, which was 27th overall in total pass defense.

Useful Offensive Statistics

The Dallas Cowboys were 5th in the National Football League in points scored with 421 last year. They ran 1,010 plays for 6,027 yards, which ranked them 5th in the NFL in total offense. The Cowboys averaged 6 yards per play, which was 4th in the league. As a team they accumulated a total of 358 1st downs last season, ranking them 4th overall as an offensive unit. On the ground Dallas ran for 2,396 yards as a unit, which ranked 2nd in the league. They ran 499 times, averaging 4.8 yards per rush as a unit. The Cowboys were penalized on offense 105 times for 879 yards last year, which had them 18th in the NFL in penalties. Dak Prescott passed for 3,667 yards last year. He completed 311 throws while attempting 459 passes for a completion percentage of 67.8%. His quarterback rating last season was 104.9 and his QBR was 81.5. He averaged 11.8 yards per completion and 8.0 yards per pass attempt.

Defensive Statistics

Dallas was 5th in the NFL in points surrendered on defense last year with 306. They gave up a total of 5,503 yards on D, which was 14th in the league. The Cowboys were 17th in yards per play allowed with 5.5. Their pass defense allowed 6.2 net yards per pass attempt, ranking them 13th in the National Football League. Opponent offenses completed 425 throws on 633 attempts against the Dallas defense last season, ranking them 32nd and 30th in the league. The Dallas Cowboys pass defense also surrendered a total of 4,167 yards in the air, which was 26th overall in total pass defense. Their rushing defense gave up 340 attempts for 1,336 yards last season, putting them in 1st place in the NFL against the run. The Cowboys had 90 penalties for 784 yards on defense last year. That placed them 3rd in the league. They allowed a score on 35.1% of possessions on defense, which was 16th in the NFL.

Who will win tonight's Colts/Cowboys NFL game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Colts +6

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