NFL Week 13 Betting: Darius Butler's favorite Thursday Night Football bet

From the Cincinnati Bengals blowing out the Pittsburgh Steelers to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers storming back to beat the Indianapolis Colts in typical fashion, Week 12 certainly did not disappoint football fans around the country.

Unfortunately, Week 12 was a forgettable week for my picks, as I went 0-3 to bring my record to 17-19 in 2021. Still, there are more than enough betting opportunities for us to bounce back in Week 13, starting with tonight's prime-time bout between two NFC powerhouses.

Leverage PFF's predictive betting models and player props tool to identify the best betting opportunities in the New Orleans Saints–Dallas Cowboys Week 13 Thursday Night Football contest.

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Dallas Cowboys (-4.5) @ New Orleans Saints

After a hot start and nonstop Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl talk, Mike McCarthy's squad is currently in the middle of its worst streak of the season. Between injuries, COVID-19 and subpar play at crucial times, the Cowboys have now lost three of their last four games.

Yes, this Dallas offense has been far from its best over the last month or so, but it still ranks 10th among the NFL's 32 teams with 5.5 yards per play on offense over that stretch, 14 spots above their opponents' 4.8.

QUARTERBACK COMPARISON

It's a good thing that the Cowboys will be playing a team that hasn’t won a game since beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8 and will be starting a new quarterback in Taysom Hill.

For all the fanfare that seems to follow him in New Orleans, Hill has still attempted only eight passes in 2021, completing seven of them for 56 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. The 31-year-old passer has now gone 101-of-142 for 1,104 yards, four scores and four interceptions over his career with nine turnover-worthy plays to just three big-time throws.

Dak Prescott is the best quarterback in this game — there is no question.

I believe that Prescott will show up in prime time and continue to play at an elite level. He will be getting his top two receiving weapons back this week in Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. And even without head coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline due to COVID-19 protocols, I like the Cowboys to win this game by at least a touchdown.

Darius Butler is a former NFL free safety. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts.