NFL Betting: Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys

William Brigstocke

Tony Romo may be passed fit to lead the Dallas Cowboys but he certainly won’t be at full fitness

“With Romo nursing a sore rib and a slightly punctured lung, this should be the perfect time for the Skins to bring the heat and get hits on the Cowboys’ QB.”

Injury news will be an all-important factor ahead of kick-off so keep a close eye on any announcements as we approach the game. The bet may well be to side with Washington here, says Andy Richmond.

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys Monday September 26 Live on ESPN 23:55

Match odds: Washington [2.62], Dallas [1.58]

Dallas return home after splitting their opening two fixtures on the road to head into Week 3 of the season 1-1. The Redskins meanwhile take their first road trip of the year after winning their first two home games, and putting 20-plus points on the board each time. The Cowboys, despite their comeback win last weekend, have major injury worries heading into this game and although they traditionally do well in this fixture, the Redskins look to have a major opportunity to redress the balance on this occasion.

Both quarterbacks in this game have come under major scrutiny over the past few years, especially when it comes to getting the job done, but both Rex Grossman (Washington) and Tony Romo ( Dallas) have gone some way to silencing their critics this year. Romo in particular has been guilty of cracking under pressure in recent years but he returned to the game from a serious injury last week to engineer an overtime 27-24 victory over San Francisco. It looks as though he’ll be ready to go again this week but that may just create problems for the Cowboys, who have further injury worries.

With Romo nursing a sore rib and a slightly punctured lung, this should be the perfect time for the Skins to bring the heat and get hits on the Cowboys’ QB. They can cover the limping Dallas WRs with single coverage and they do not need to pay a lot of attention to the mediocre Cowboys’ runnning game. When the Skins’ defence takes chances it creates turnovers, and sending safeties and linebackers as well as designing some inside blitzes could produce positive results. It looks like Romo will play, but how many hits can he take?

For Grossman the trip to Dallas will bring back some good memories. He replaced Donovan McNabb as Redskins starter last year for a 33-30 when he completed 25 of 43 passes for 322 yards – his second-highest career total at the time – and four touchdowns to rally Washington from a 20-point deficit. He seems a more measured player this year and starting has given him confidence. He’ll be trying to avoid DeMarcus Ware, who leads the NFL with four sacks after the linebacker led the league with 15 1/2 in 2010. Ware had two of the Cowboys’ five sacks of Grossman in the last meeting.

Washington’s last 3-0 start was in 2005, also the last year they won a post-season game. They need to keep their poise here but in games that are traditionally close, taking the Redskins with the points is the smart move.

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Back Washington Redskins on the available handicap.

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