On Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Houston to face their in-state rivals, the Texans, at NRG Stadium. This Sunday Night Football matchup will kick off at 8:20 PM. ET.
The Texans are coming off their first victory of the season. Expectations were sky-high before the start of the 2018 season, but the Texans have failed to live up to them. Deshaun Watson has yet to show the same big play ability that he displayed in his rookie season, prior to his injury. Against Dallas, Watson will need to overcome a strong Dallas’ defense that ranks in the top 5 in terms of yards allowed.
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off their second victory of the season. Dallas has seen a lot of turnover on their roster coming into the 2018 season, and expectations aren’t particularly high outside of Dallas. With the departure of Dez Bryant in the offseason and the retirement of Jason Witten, the Cowboys’ offense now entirely relies on Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
Is the AFC South race already over?
Maybe, but don’t count the Texans out just yet. While their defense might not dominate their opponents, their offense is formidable. According to NFL Stats, the Texans offense ranks 5th in the league in total yards per game. Facing a Cowboy’s defense that is top five in yards allowed, expect a classic battle of strength against strength in this game.
While Dallas has a strong defense, they did allow 132 receiving yards to Golden Tate in week four. Deshaun Watson has yet to have a breakout performance in 2018. Expect Watson to challenge the Dallas secondary with his favorite deep threat, DeAndre Hopkins.
Against the Colts Watson targeted Hopkins 12 times, completing 10 passes for 169 yards. Against the Colts, Watson attempted 42 passes, completing 29 of them for 375 yards. On the downside, Watson has thrown an interception in every game this season. Until Watson proves that he’s comfortable in the pocket and gets back to making explosive plays, don’t trust the Houston offense to overcome the Dallas defense. Against the Cowboys, expect most of those trends to continue.
The NFC East is up for grabs
The Cowboys don’t look like a particularly exciting team. Currently constructed, Dallas lacks a lot to be desired.
One thing Dallas does have is Ezekiel Elliot. Against the Lions, Elliott rushed for 152 yards on 25 carries.
Unfortunately for Eliott and Dallas, he never found the end zone. Elliott is a serious workhorse that the Dallas offense needs to rely on heavily. With so much attention going to Eliott, it’s up to Prescott to do the little things needed to win.
Call him a game management quarterback, but he’s still talented enough to make an impact when needed.
Houston is one of the worst teams defending the pass. According to NFL Stats, Houston ranks 27th against the pass, allowing 288 yards per game.
Houston has allowed 11 passing touchdowns through four weeks. Facing a porous Houston defense, expect the Dallas offense to put the ball in Prescott’s hands to win the game.
Unfortunately for Dallas, their passing attack ranks 30th in the league. Through four weeks, Dallas is averaging 166.5 yards per game.
Texans Vs Cowboys Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Texans favored to win the game by -3.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 45.5. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
This matchup pits strength against strength. Houston’s defense struggles against the pass and excels against the run, while Dallas’ offense struggles to pass the ball and excels at running it. In this matchup, something’s got to give. According to NFL Stats, Texans have one of the worst offensive lines in the league. They’ve already allowed 17 sacks and 43 quarterback hits. While Dallas is extremely one dimensional on offense, expect the Cowboys defensive line to get after Watson and force a few turnovers.
Play: Cowboys +3.5 @ BetOnline.ag
Dallas Cowboys Betting Pick • Houston Texans betting • NFL Betting Pick • Sunday Night Football Betting Pick