The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings got much needed rest last weekend, with both teams on a bye. Now they’ll both get back to action for a Sunday Night primetime game at U.S. Bank Stadium this coming weekend.
Currently, the Cowboys looks like clear favorites in the NFC East. The offense looks crisp since the return of Dak Prescott and the defense has come up with big plays. Meanwhile, the Vikings are holding on to a 3-3 record and will seek to defeat Dallas to put them above .500 for the year.
Minnesota has been quietly hot, winning three of their last four games. The one loss for the Vikings in that four-game stretch was against the Browns, which had controversy written all over it.
Can the Vikings keep their momentum going against an even hotter Dallas Cowboys team? Here are our picks and predictions for Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
Odds and lines current as of Friday, October 29.
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Sunday Night Football Prediction Week 8
The Cowboys are going to win the NFC East — there’s no doubt about it at this point. With the return of star quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys are averaging over 34 points while earning over 470 yards per game on the offensive end.
Prescott has thrown for 1,813 yards and 16 touchdowns, but he hasn’t been the only bright spot of this offense. Dallas has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, performing well in pass protection but even better in the run game. They’ve helped Dallas rush for 164.3 yards per game this season.
Going up against a Vikings rush defense that has allowed 128 yards per game is ideal for Dallas. The Vikings don’t have the best defense when it comes to stopping the run, and once Dallas starts to have success on the ground, the entire playbook will start to open up.
The Vikings have been solid rushing the passer and have a secondary that is capable of making plays. However, it’s going to be hard to get pressure on Prescott to begin with, and therefore, the more time Prescott has in the pocket, the harder it’ll be for the coverage to make plays.
Meanwhile, the Vikings offense has been underwhelming to start the year. Minnesota is averaging over 414 yards of offense, but they’re scoring just 24.5 points per game. The Vikings have to do a better job of scoring, especially in the red zone.
The Cowboys haven’t been the best defense this season but they’ve come up with clutch plays thanks to Trevon Diggs, who just continues to find the ball with seven interceptions on the year.
Ultimately, I expect points in this game. The Vikings are going to score more, having averaged over 400 yards per game, and the Cowboys’ rushing attack should continue to explode, which is reflected in the NFL gameday odds.
SNF Week 8 Pick: Cowboys 34, Vikings 27
The Dallas offense has gotten a massive boost from CeeDee Lamb this season, who leads the team with 497 receiving yards. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Sunday Night Football Best Bets Week 8
SNF Best Bet: Cowboys (+140) at Caesars
We’re going to watch a shootout in this game. Both offenses can do a little bit of everything. However, the one team that should be able to get a stop or two will be the Cowboys.
Trevon Diggs has seven interceptions on the year and the Cowboys should have some success rushing Kirk Cousins, who is behind a terrible offensive line when it comes to pass protection. A couple mistakes from Cousins will be the difference.
SNF Best Bet: Over 52 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
While the Cowboys might get a turnover or two, the defense hasn’t been all that great. They’ve allowed over 380 yards per game (about 295 yards passing) on the defensive end.
So far, their saving grace has been earning takeaways in big, clutch spots. That might continue to happen, but the Vikings should be able to score more points as they continue to put up a ton of yards on offense.
If I like the Cowboys to win and the Vikings to score points, then I absolutely like the Over in this spot. I’m calling a shootout for Week 8 on Sunday Night Football, making this our NFL bet of the day.
Thanks for reading our NFL Week 8 SNF picks! Check out our Week 8 Early Lines for more NFL betting tips.
