[Tommy]

On Thursday, Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos meet Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys in an interconference battle of first-place teams and two-time Super Bowl winning coaches.

There is a bit of Thanksgiving history between these two squads. The Broncos posted a 26-24 victory here on Thanksgiving 2001. Dave Campo was in his second year as coach of the Cowboys, who finished 5-11 that season.

Now in Parcells' third year, the Cowboys (7-3 SU, 6-3-1 ATS) are tied for first place in the NFC East with the New York Giants and play at New York on December 4. But before that showdown, they must contend with the Broncos (8-2 SU, 7-2-1 ATS), who are tied for the second-best record in the NFL and own a two-game lead in the AFC West.

The Cowboys are 23-13-1 on Thanksgiving, but have lost five of their last eight holiday games. However, they come into this contest as winners of three straight, and five of its last six. They are also 5-0-1 ATS over that stretch.

However, last Thanksgiving was a memorable one for America's Team, as Julius Jones made his first Thanksgiving game a memorable one, rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in Dallas' 21-7 win here over Chicago.

This season, Jones has been hampered by injuries, but appears to be rounding into form. He rushed for 92 yards on 21 carries in the Cowboys' 20-7 win over Detroit last week.

Rookie Marion Barber III picked up the slack in Jones' absence and has emerged as the short yardage and goal-line back for the Cowboys, rushing for two touchdowns last week. Also, be sure to take note of that Dallas defense. We find that the 'Boys are a perfect 6-0 ATS following a game where they allowed 14 or fewer points.

But it is Shanahan and Denver that are the masters of the running game. In his 11 years as coach, the Broncos have boasted five different 1,000-yard rushers - Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis and Reuben Droughns. This season, Anderson (782 yards) and Tatum Bell (640) are both on pace to reach 1,000.

Last week, the Broncos rushed for 196 yards in a 27-0 victory over the New York Jets. Anderson led the way with 113 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.

It was the first shutout since 1997 for Denver, which forced five turnovers and recorded four sacks. Cornerback Champ Bailey and safety John Lynch each had an interception. The Broncos, just like the Cowboys, have won three in a row. They have also successfully covered the number in their last five contests, and are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall. Beware of the number here, however. Denver is 0-7 ATS following a game where they allowed 50 or fewer rushing yards.

Parcells will likely set up the defense to stack up against the run. That will put pressure on cornerbacks Anthony Henry and Terrence Newman to cover Broncos' receivers Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie.

In his third year in Shanahan's offense, Jake Plummer has completed over 61 percent of his passes for 2,074 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has a franchise-record streak of 219 passes without an interception.

Dallas' signal-caller Drew Bledsoe was not much of a factor in Dallas' win over the Lions, throwing for a season-low 110 yards. But a strong running game and a solid defensive performance helped the Cowboys earn their third straight win and fifth in six games.

This will be the third game in 11 days for the Cowboys, who played at Philadelphia on Monday night before hosting the Lions.

Matchup to watch: Bailey will cover Terry Glenn, who has 39 catches for 717 yards this season.

Series: The Cowboys lead, 5-4, but the Broncos have won the last two meetings. Denver is 3-1 ATS vs. Dallas dating back to 1992, with the teams splitting the series on the football field.

Next week: Denver visits Kansas City, while Dallas visits the Giants

Before you get down on this contest, don’t miss out on the Experts Guaranteed Selections. Remember, at Vegas Experts you only pay after you WIN!

[naught33]

great stuff tommy, this such be a battle!