Monday Night Football Preview: 4 Top Picks for Cowboys vs Raiders
Two of the NFL’s biggest brands collide on Monday night when the Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1) head west to take on the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) in a primetime matchup.
Dallas has struggled this season due to a woeful defense. The Cowboys have allowed nearly 31 points per game, the second-highest amount in the NFL this season. Only the Cincinnati Bengals have allowed more points per game than Dallas through the season’s midway point.
Las Vegas’ issues stem from an ineffective offense. The Raiders are scoring the second-fewest points per game, averaging just over 15 points per contest. Only the Tennessee Titans and rookie quarterback Cam Ward are worse this year.
In a battle of the stoppable force (the Raiders’ offense) against a very movable object (Dallas’ defense), which weakness will come out on top? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for Monday Night Football’s matchup.
Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb OVER 87.5 Receiving Yards
If not for an injury, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb would likely be atop the NFL in multiple categories this season. Instead, the 2020 NFL first-round draft pick has just 35 receptions for 491 yards and one touchdown.
While Las Vegas isn’t giving up a ton of passing yards, opposing wide receivers are collecting the bulk of those targets. The Raiders have surrendered over 70 yards to receivers in five contests to date. Bettors should take Lamb to add to that list on Monday night, covering his 87.5-yard receiving prop total.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty OVER 66.5 Rushing Yards
Few running backs have entered the league with as much fanfare as Ashton Jeanty. The rookie hasn’t set the league on fire, notching 547 rushing yards on 143 carries. He’s scored four times on the ground while adding three more touchdowns in the Raiders’ passing attack.
Dallas has surrendered over 79 rushing yards to a running back in five of the past six outings. The bye week may help the Cowboys improve in that aspect, but bettors shouldn’t bank on it. Instead, the safe bet is to take Jeanty to have a breakthrough performance on Monday night, covering this player prop total.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott UNDER 254.5 Passing Yards
Dak Prescott has been his reliable self for the Cowboys this year. The veteran quarterback has completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 2,319 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s among the top tier in both passing yards (ranked 13th entering Monday’s game) and touchdown passes (tied for 9th).
Only two quarterbacks have surpassed the 250-yard mark against the Raiders this season. That’s partially due to the team’s inability to stop the running game. The Cowboys will likely come out running the football, too. That’s why it’s a safe bet to take the under on this passing prop bet for Prescott.
Best Bet: OVER 50.5 Points
Dallas is putting points on the scoreboard. The Cowboys are third in the league, averaging 29.2 points per outing. It’s their defense that has kept them out of the win column more often this season.
Expect the Raiders to make this a competitive game throughout, finally putting together a competent offensive showing against the Cowboys. Unlike last week’s 10-7 Monday Night Football final score for Philadelphia and Green Bay, this week’s matchup will finish above 51 points. As a bonus, lean toward the Cowboys covering their 3.5-point spread.
Ernie Horn
Sports Betting Contributor
Ernie is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He spent those early years working as a sports reporter and editor, but made the move back to the digital world in 2022. Ernie covers college football and NFL betting for Hello Rookie.
