Opening the preseason will be the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. They will take part in Thursday's 2021 NFL Hall of Fame Game. Steelers won the AFC North last year at 12-4. This will be their first Hall of Fame Game appearance for six years. The Cowboys, who tied for second in the NFC East with the New York Giants at 6-10, last played in the Hall of Fame Game in 2018. The preseason will mark the first meeting between the two teams since 2003.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. from the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio. ET. ET. Before making any Steelers vs. Cowboys picks, be sure to see the 2021 Hall of Fame Game predictions from SportsLine's Emory Hunt.
Hunt is the founder of Football Gameplan and its CEO. He was a running back at Louisiana Lafayette and has served as the CEO and chief executive officer of the company. He sees the game through a player's eyes.
Hunt has enjoyed a lot of success when it comes to games involving the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, he's gone 27-18 in his last 45 against-the-spread NFL picks involving the Cowboys, returning $725 to $100 players during that run. Anyone who has followed him is on the upswing.
Hunt now has a clear view of Cowboys vs. Steelers and has released a confident pick against the spread. You can visit SportsLine now to see it. Here are several NFL lines and trends for Steelers vs. Cowboys:
- Cowboys vs. Steelers spread: Steelers -2
- Cowboys vs. Steelers under: 32.5 points
- Cowboys vs. Steelers money line: Cowboys +105, Steelers -125
- DAL: Arizona beat Arizona 20-18 in 2017 in the Hall of Fame Game.
- PIT: Minnesota lost 14-3 to PIT in the Hall of Fame Game.
The Steelers are able to cover
Many young players will have the chance to shine with the starters. Among them could be cornerback Cameron Sutton, a third round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2017. Sutton was a part of all 16 games last season, and recorded 30 tackles, 27 solo. Sutton had eight pass knockdowns and recorded one sack. He also forced three fumbles.
First round draft pick Najee Harris is also expected to make his Steelers debut. The Alabama native, aged 23, led the Crimson Tide's rush defense and was a danger receiving from the backfield. He had 251 carries and 1,466 yards (an average of 5.8 yards) and 26 touchdowns in 2020. He also caught 43 passes, for 425 yards (9.9 on average), and four more scores.
The Cowboys are able to cover
Dallas won't be playing many of its top players, but there will be a few players who are looking to make an impact. Among them could be wide receiver Simi Fehoko, a fifth-round draft pick out of Stanford. He was a junior last season and had his season cut to six games because of the coronavirus pandemic. With five starts, he played in all six games and led the Cardinal with 37 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In a 48-47 win over UCLA, he set a school record by catching 16 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns.
Also expected to see action is tight end Sean McKeon, an undrafted free agent pickup in 2020. He made the team last season as the fourth tight end and became a third-stringer when starter Blake Jarwin suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. He saw action on special teams in 14 of his 14 games. He played in 10 games at Michigan during his senior season, including seven starts. He had 13 receptions for 235 yard and two touchdowns.
How to make Steelers vs. Cowboys picks
Hunt is looking at the total and has found an X-factor that makes him jump all over the other side. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
