BONUS COMBO
Another chance to take advantage of the Dallas Cowboys’ national fan base comes Sunday night in San Francisco.
Cowboys at 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday
The line: 49ers -3.5.
San Francisco is perfect through four games; Dallas dominated dour Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots last week by a 38-3 count.
Best of all, the betting number puts the two teams virtually even (given the two- or three-point advantage most bookmakers assign to the home team). The Dallas fan base generally pushes the number a little unreasonably toward “America’s Team.”
The opportunity here is to capitalize on the eye test. The Cowboys showed vulnerability in their Week 3 loss at Arizona, while the 49ers — even with the Dallas game on deck — thoroughly took care of business last week against the Cardinals.
For San Francisco, key playmakers are healthy, or in improving health (receiver Deebo Samuel), while Dallas is likely overthinking this matchup.
“You live to play in these kinds of games,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said this week. “You dream about it. You don’t want to make it bigger than it is, but the reality is it’s not just another game.”
Honesty is a fine policy, but McCarthy basically spelled out just how he’ll finish second on Sunday — too much emphasis on desperately wanting to win this matchup.
The Niners carry the advantage just about everywhere and, with pass rusher Nick Bosa ready to measure up against Cowboys star and Defensive Player of the Year favorite Micah Parsons, the scene is set for a San Francisco party on Sunday night.
The pick: 49ers -3.5.
PROP CORNER
With Deebo Samuel likely to play, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (20-for-21 last week) continues to enjoy an embarrassment of riches.
Brandon Aiyuk hauled in six catches for 148 yards against Arizona, and with Samuel back on the field, opposing defenses can’t blanket one or the other.
The prop play: 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk over 56.5 receiving yards.