The Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys will match up in the preseason finale for both teams on Friday night. The Seahawks are still seeking a first preseason victory, while Dallas will be looking to close the exhibition portion of their schedule with consecutive wins. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys beat the Chargers, 32-20 last Saturday. Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin, who starred in the USFL this spring, stole the spotlight as he became the first player in nine seasons to deliver kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns in the same game. Dallas will try to sustain the momentum generated by Turpin and a quality ground game.
The Seahawks looked flat for much of a 27-11 home loss to the Bears last Thursday, and Geno Smith did not do much to separate himself from Drew Lock in the race for the starting quarterback job. Lock missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19. Smith completed 10-of-18 passes for 112 yards and was also victimized by spotty play from his pass-catchers.
Lock is expected to play extensively this week with a chance to pull ahead of Smith if he performs well. This will be an important game for Seattle in terms of making their starting QB determination. Smith will start, but Lock should play more than him.
Meanwhile, Dallas will be looking to briefly feature some available starters as it eyes the regular-season opener against Tampa Bay on September 11.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Odds
Our NFL odds indicate that the Seahawks are favored to go on the road and fight hard for what can be their only win of the 2022 preseason. Lock does give Seattle an edge at quarterback in this exhibition tilt, as he can open up the offense more than Smith, and we likely won’t see much of Dak Prescott in this game.
The Cowboys may be able to field a potent running game, but we can’t expect too much from the passing attack.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Implied Score
Seahawks 21.75, Cowboys 18.75
The bookmakers are not expecting a high-scoring affair, but the Seahawks should be able to mount a touchdown drive or two behind Lock. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett only played briefly against Chicago but could see more action this time, improving Seattle’s chances to score on an early drive.
Both teams have run the ball well this preseason and the Seahawks’ defense has been inconsistent, so the implied score is indicating Dallas can possibly do enough on offense to stick close.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Pick of the Day
Read more on this Seahawks vs Cowboys bet below.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Matchup
The apparent major storyline in this matchup will be Lock vs Smith, with the former having a strong opportunity to possibly win the starting job with a quality outing. The Dallas defense has allowed four TD passes with one interception so far this preseason. The Seahawks should have a good chance of scoring two touchdowns with Lock guiding the offense.
The Cowboys allowed only 77 rushing yards against the Chargers and 39 against the Broncos. Strengthening the run defense has been an area of focus for Dallas, and the ground game is expected to be a significant focal point of the Seattle offense. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas have combined to rush for 173 yards so far this preseason, and if we see Rashaad Penny at all, he could bust loose for a big gainer at any time.
Will Grier is coping with a groin injury that won’t help him in his attempt to beat out Cooper Rush for the Dallas backup QB job. CeeDee Lamb (foot) and Noah Brown (toe) are also dealing with injuries, so we will have to monitor their status. The Cowboys’ offense may run through RBs Rico Dowdle and undrafted free agent Malik Davis, as they have totaled 168 rushing yards and two TDs this preseason.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Prediction
Seahawks 24, Cowboys 17
The goal for Seattle will be to establish optimum offensive balance, especially while Lock is in the game. Finding running room against a defensive front that has played well so far this preseason won’t be easy, but Seattle has confidence in its ground game even beyond Penny, the projected starter.
The offensive line has dealt with some penalty issues, mainly from first-round offensive tackle Charles Cross, but the unit has looked sturdy enough overall through two games.
Dallas rookie defensive end Sam Williams has played well so far this preseason and will be a concern for the Seahawks’ blockers. Defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna has been one of the reasons why the Cowboys’ defense has been strong up front. But the Seahawks’ offensive line did give Smith ample time to throw last week and should afford Lock the opportunities to make the right reads and decisions.
In his one preseason game so far, Lock was 11-of-15 for 102 yards and two TDs, but he also lost a fumble on a sack. Overall, he did fuel more optimism than Smith has in exhibition play, and Lock does have more upside as a downfield passer. It is difficult to envision Rush, who has passed for 116 yards and no TDs this preseason, doing enough to keep up with Lock, and Smith, who could at least perform respectably this week.
We may see running back Tony Pollard for a spell, and he can certainly inject some life into the Dallas offense when he is in the game. Davis has been a true sparkplug, and the Seahawks defense has been guilty of poor tackling so far in the preseason. The Seattle secondary has also been working through some injuries, and rookie cornerbacks Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant have been tested, but the Cowboys are better off trying to strike some offensive balance than to depend much on Rush.
Ultimately, this game will come down to Seattle’s quarterbacks outplaying whoever succeeds Prescott early, before we possibly get to Jacob Eason vs Ben DiNucci late in the game. Eason did not look bad against Chicago, and could help push Seattle to the finish line for the win.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Bet Tips
If this were a regular season game, Dallas would have the obvious offensive edge. But Seattle will have a rare advantage at QB this week, one they might not enjoy at all during the regular season. Their best bet could be Week 8 against the Giants, and that is no sure thing, either.
- The Seahawks are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings with the Cowboys.
- The Over is 5-1 in Seattle’s last six games.
- Drew Lock has thrown seven TD passes to just one interception in three career games vs NFC teams.
- Pete Carroll has won four of his last five regular season matchups vs Dallas.
Seahawks vs Cowboys Best Bets
Over 40.5 Total Points (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
One interesting note is that Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn comes from the Pete Carroll coaching tree, so watching them match defensive wits in a looser preseason environment could be fun. The Seahawks no longer play the same style of defense as they did when the two worked together during Seattle’s two Super Bowl seasons, so how much Quinn can help the Cowboys’ offense this time is questionable.
Betting on the Over here is a wager that is backing Lock to boost the Seahawks’ offense. Smith may also realize that he needs to deliver his best outing of the preseason this week and could try to open things up more. Last week, he was attempting to make sound decisions and took what the defense gave him. Smith may have to show he can challenge the defense after not throwing a TD pass in the first two preseason games.
The two Seahawks quarterbacks could play a big part in cashing in on this wager. Dallas won’t have much upside in the passing game, but we have already seen the Cowboys create some momentum in the running game and on special teams. We’re betting mostly on Lock here to show he deserves the starting job, and it is possible the Seattle secondary could let up enough for Dallas to produce respectably in the passing game.
Seahawks -3 (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook
WAGER: 2 Units
The Seahawks are not going to be favored too often during the regular season, so here is a nifty chance to cash in on them as a favorite. The hope is that a change of scenery will reinvigorate Lock’s career and this is a prime opportunity for him to show he can effectively lead the Seattle offense.
Dallas has held its top starters out in the preseason so far and they may not see too much playing time this week. The Cowboys are looking to settle some deeper positional battles on the roster in this one and the Seahawks have much more at stake in terms of its biggest personnel decision.
The difference will be Seattle showing more life on offense than it did last week, and performing more as it did in the preseason opener at Pittsburgh, when the Seahawks scored 25 points. Back Seattle to cover the spread as our NFL pick of the day.
