Bettors on right side of line by riding Cowboys

In a short period of time, Tony Romo has become a star and elevated the Dallas Cowboys into the NFL's elite class.

Betting against the league's best quarterbacks has been a bad idea this season, and Romo showed again Sunday that betting against him is harmful to your financial health.

Romo is not quite in the same neighborhood with Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger, but he's starting to earn that type of respect.

Dallas opened as a 1-point road favorite and the line closed at 21/2 in the Cowboys' 31-20 victory over the New York Giants. The line move was justified as Romo passed for four touchdowns and the Cowboys moved to 8-1 straight up and 7-2 against the spread.

"The public definitely backed the Cowboys," Caesars Palace sports book director Chuck Esposito said. "The Cowboys are always a public team, and now their offense is phenomenal.

"Romo is maybe not in the same class with Manning and Brady. His mobility and his style of play are reminiscent of Favre. It's a case of making plays. Favre and Romo really create their own magic."

The betting public always prefers to side with high-powered offenses. Dallas has scored at least 24 points in each of its games and has topped 30 in six of them.

Romo connected with Terrell Owens for two touchdown passes in the second half as the Cowboys broke open a game that was tied at 17 at halftime.

The Giants had won six in a row over Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington and the New York Jets. But bettors showed little interest in the Giants as home underdogs.

"The Giants have played extremely well for the last six weeks, but they haven't beaten any of the top teams," Esposito said.

New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Green Bay -- considered the league's best teams and led by five outstanding quarterbacks -- are a combined 39-6 straight up and 34-10-1 against the spread.

The sports books took a beating on the Cowboys' victory, but Esposito said the Colts' 23-21 loss to San Diego was exactly what the books needed.

Indianapolis, which closed as a 4-point road favorite, fell behind 23-0 before rallying. The Colts were within range of covering the spread when they reached the Chargers 6-yard line with just under two minutes remaining.

But a run by Joseph Addai that was ruled a first down was overturned by a replay review, and after a 5-yard penalty, Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard field-goal attempt.

Manning, who threw a career-high six interceptions, was operating a shorthanded offense without injured wide receiver Marvin Harrison and tight end Dallas Clark.

Favre passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers punished the Minnesota Vikings, 34-0. But wagering was heavier on the Vikings, who closed as 51/2-point road underdogs.

Seven of 13 underdogs won straight up in Week 10. Only Arizona, Chicago, Dallas and Green Bay covered as favorites.

St. Louis pulled off the biggest upset. The Rams, 10-point road underdogs, beat the New Orleans Saints 37-29 for their first win of the season.

Buffalo closed as a 3-point road favorite in a 13-10 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins.

All 32 teams will be back in action next week. The Patriots, who had a bye, opened as 151/2-point road favorites over the Bills in Week 11.

The Cowboys opened as 101/2-point home favorites over the Washington Redskins.