Dallas Cowboys (8-4) at Chicago Bears (5-7)

Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, at Soldier Field, Chicago – TV: NFL Network

*TV announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson

*Keys to the game: Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,427 yards and nine 100-yard games, chewed up Chicago’s defense for 146 yards on this field last season. The Bears are without top defenders in CB Charles Tillman and LB Lance Briggs and allowed at least 5.0 yards per offensive play in 10 of 11 games. Revving up Murray should open single-coverage looks for QB Tony Romo to pick at the Bears’ thin secondary, using TE Jason Witten underneath and WR Dez Bryant outside.

The Bears allowed 30-plus points for the fifth time last week at Detroit and are not consistently getting off the field on third down. Controlling the ball with RB Matt Forte — who had just five carries for six yards at Detroit — could be the key to keeping the game close. Dallas surrendered 256 yards to the Eagles last week and rank 22nd against the run. The Cowboys have also been fighting it on third down — allowing 19 of 31 conversions the past two weeks — and have similar concerns about their safety play.

The Cowboys’ defensive strategy is to clog inside running lanes to slow Forte and put the game in Jay Cutler’s turnover-prone hands.

*Matchup to watch – WR Brandon Marshall vs. Cowboys CB Sterling Moore: Marshall has only 58 catches, his lowest total through 12 games since his rookie season, but he has devoured the Cowboys in three games with 17 catches for 329 yards and two TDs.

*Player spotlight – Cowboys DT Henry Melton: With five sacks, Melton has been an occasional factor. Let go by Chicago when he hit free agency in March 2014, Melton is motivated to get after Cutler.

*Fast facts: Forecasts call for temps to be 40 degrees warmer in Chicago than they were Dec. 9, 2013, when the Bears beat below-zero temperature and iced the Cowboys 45-28, scoring on every drive before a kneel-down. … Romo is 12-17 in December.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

Dallas makes it interesting, but gets to 6-0 on the road to set up another big meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15.

*Our pick: Cowboys 28-23