The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys square off tonight, but here’s why the Hall of Fame Game is projected to be very low-scoring.
Through the first 7 games of the 2020 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were averaging over 30 points per contest. Likewise, Dallas Cowboys averaged over 32.5 points per game prior to Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury.
The Steelers and Cowboys are two of the most storied NFL franchises, but despite this long-anticipated matchup in the Hall of Fame game that has been delayed a full year, you shouldn’t expect a shootout tonight between these two teams.
In fact, odds suggest that this game will be just the opposite. As of Thursday afternoon, the projected over/under point total is set at just 31.5 points for the Hall of Fame Game, courtesy of WynnBET. With the Steelers favored by two points, these odds suggest that Pittsburgh should score just over 16 points in this contest while the Cowboys fall just shy of that number.
Why is the projected point total so low for Steelers vs. Cowboys?
This seems remarkably low, but it’s not without cause. It was recently reported that both teams will be without their franchise quarterbacks tonight. This isn’t something that was unexpected. With one more preseason game than every other team in the league this year, Pittsburgh and Dallas aren’t going to take any unnecessary risks with their franchise quarterbacks.
However, Dak Prescott and Ben Roethlisberger aren’t the only two big names sitting out of the Hall of Fame Game. Reporter Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweeted Wednesday that other notable offensive players like Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith aren’t even making the trip to Canton.
The Steelers could follow suit. Though Ben Roethlisberger is the only player who has officially been ruled out of the game, I expect them to rest many of their starters tonight. Of the starters who will suit up on offense, they may not see the field much, as this is a game that will likely feature second and third-team players from both sides.
While this means the defenses will be weaker, it could also prove to be a challenge for both sides to move the ball on offense.
Is it worth betting over the point total?
Yesterday at this time, the projected point total for the Steelers vs. Cowboys sat at 33.0. It has since dropped by two points before raising back up slightly. Now at just 31.5, it may be worth betting the ‘over’ here for anyone looking to seize the opportunity.
This would require both teams to average just over 16 points in this game. However, this is easier said than done, and a lot of factors must be considered. For starters, it’s hard to predict turnovers, and if it’s a sloppy contest, we can assume this point total won’t be reached.
On the flip side, the Steelers have three capable backup quarterbacks in Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and Josh Dobbs – each of which have flashed in previous preseasons. It’s not unfathomable to think the Steelers could lead three touchdown drives in this contest.
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter which of these teams comes away with the win. Both sides will be winners if they can escape Canton without any major injuries. For more betting insight, please be sure to check out BetSided.com.