49ers (10-7) at Cowboys (12-5)
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas TV: CBS
Tipico Sportsbook line: by 2 ⁄2
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49ers’ keys to victory: San Francisco has won seven of its last nine games and the 49ers have done it on the strength of their defense. Disrupting the flow of Dallas’ offense is the first priority, so edge rusher Nick Bosa will need to move the QB off his mark. If the front five can’t create pressure, a suspect secondary will have to cover like never before. The 49ers don’t create many turnovers. On offense, WR Deebo Samuel hasn’t met many defenses that can keep him out of the box score. When he doesn’t win in routes, he’s a menace carrying the ball for one of the game’s best rushing attacks.
Cowboys’ keys to victory: The responsibility to stop Samuel will fall on LB Micah Parsons and safety Jayron Kearse, the two Dallas defenders physical enough and quick enough to try and derail the 49ers’ top weapon. While they work there, DEs DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory will look to harass QB Jimmy Garoppolo into mistakes, hopefully giving a coverage unit with a whopping 26 interceptions a chance to excel. Getting WR Amari Cooper involved early is important for QB Dak Prescott, as is utilizing RB Tony Pollard’s speed.
Matchup to watch: 49ers CB K’Waun Williams vs. Cowboys WR Cedrick Wilson. Wilson has done an excellent job this season replacing Michael Gallup, and this slot matchup could be the key to whether or not San Francisco can corral Dallas’ offense.
Who wins? The Cowboys will have to pick their poison between Samuel and TE George Kittle, but their offense should do enough.
Cowboys, 34-24
Cowboys