After another disappointing postseason exit, the Dallas Cowboys will look to begin their 2024 campaign on the right foot when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns.
That task will be easier said than done for Jerry Jones’ team, as the hands-on owner/GM spent more of the offseason talking about contract disputes than rewarding his best players or adding new talented pieces to the roster.
Meanwhile, Cleveland is coming off an unexpected postseason appearance and has made moves like trading for Jerry Jeudy to take further steps forward.
Let’s dig into this NFL Week 1 matchup by analyzing the Cowboys vs Browns odds and picking out some best bets.
Cowboys vs Browns Odds
NFL odds are current as of Thursday, Sept. 5, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Cowboys (+110) vs Browns (-130)
- Spread: Cowboys +2.5 (-110) vs Browns -2.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 41 (-112) / Under 41 (-108)
Cowboys vs Browns Prediction
Browns 20, Cowboys 16
While it took nearly the entire summer, Jones finally gave in and inked CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million contract extension at the end of August.
The Cowboys simply couldn’t start the campaign without their First-Team All-Pro wideout, who made 135 catches for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Still, Lamb sat out most of training camp and is on a pitch count at practice leading into Week 1, so there’s no guarantee that he and Dak Prescott will have their typical chemistry after so much missed time.
Dallas doesn’t have much depth at receiver behind Lamb, and the return of 29-year-old running back Ezekiel Elliott is a downgrade for an offense that was among the league’s best last season. Those factors could cause the Cowboys to start the season slowly against one of the NFL’s best defenses. Cleveland allowed just 13.9 points per game in nine home games last season, winning eight of them.
Although the Browns’ offensive line has some injury concerns — starting tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. are questionable for Sunday with knee injuries — I’ll back the hosts in what could turn into a showcase of two of the league’s top kickers from a season ago (Dustin Hopkins and Brandon Aubrey).
Cowboys vs Browns Best Bets
Under 41 Points (-108)
These were two of the better Over teams last season.
However, the Browns are handing the ball back to Deshaun Watson, who hasn’t shown the ability to make dynamic throws down the field like Joe Flacco did after Watson got injured. And we’ve already discussed some of my concerns about the Dallas offense.
These offensive lines could also be in for long days against strong opposing pass-rushers.
Micah Parsons will get to attack a Cleveland o-line that is already dealing with injury issues. Meanwhile, Myles Garrett will line up against a Dallas front with a Tyron Smith-sized hole at left tackle.
Unders went 6-3 in Browns home games last season, and the Cowboys offense was way better at AT&T Stadium (37.4 ppg) than it was on the road (23.3 ppg).
Back the Under as one of your best NFL bets today.
Browns -2.5 (-110)
It feels like the books want me to take Dallas with this line, but I won’t fall into the trap.
The Cowboys were 4-5 on their travels last season, and this matchup to start the campaign isn’t easy.
Backing the Browns, who went 8-1 in front of the Dawg Pound last season, makes a lot of sense.
