Check out our expert analysis and odds for the Sunday Night Football clash between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Make your picks now!
There were a lot of expectations surrounding both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers coming into the season. These were the top two teams in the NFC at the end of the 2023 regular season, and they were two of the favorites to win the conference per the NFL futures odds coming into this campaign. However, Dallas is currently sitting at 3-3, while San Francisco is under .500 at 3-4. Both these squads are looking to right the ship before it is too late.
Week 8 Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys +4.5
San Francisco 49ers -4.5
Total 47
The football betting odds have changed considerably over the course of the week. San Francisco was initially installed as a six-point favorite, but the Niners are down to -4.5 as many are liking the Cowboys’ chances coming off a bye week. We’ve also seen the total fall by a point since the initial NFL betting odds were released last Sunday evening.
Dallas Cowboys Overview
It’s been a strange year for the Dallas Cowboys as they have been vastly different at home and on the road. Dallas is 3-0 on the road with a +24 point differential, but the Cowboys are 0-3 at home with a ghastly -66 point deferential. That number could be even worse two as the Cowboys trailed Baltimore 28-6 entering the fourth quarter before scoring 19 points in the final nine minutes to make the final score respectable.
Dak Prescott is not putting up the same numbers he did in 2023. Prescott has completed 63.4% of his passes for 1,602 yards (7.2 YPA) with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. CeeDee Lamb is by far the best receiver with 32 receptions for 467 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets, as the second leading receiver Jalen Tolbert has just 290 receiving yards.
The ground game has been completely unable to help lighten the load for Prescott. Dallas ranks dead last in the league in both YPC and rushing YPG. The offensive line is a shadow of what it was in the recent past, and that assessment is double for Ezekiel Elliott.
Dallas has really struggled on defense this season. The Cowboys are allowing 28.0 PPG (31st in the NFL), and they have the second-worst red zone defense in the league to boot. To make matters worse, DeMarcus Lawrence is still on injured reserve, while Micah Parsons and Eric Kendricks are both listed as questionable after missing the last game for the Cowboys.
San Francisco 49ers Overview
For some reason, injuries always seem to hit San Francisco particularly hard. The skill position corps has been particularly decimated this year as Christian McCaffrey has yet to take the field, and Brandon Aiyuk is now out for the season with a knee injury. Jordan Mason, Deebo Samuel, Juaun Jennings, and George Kittle are all listed as questionable to play too.
That has limited the effectiveness of Brock Purdy. Mr. Irrelevant is completing 63.9% of his passes for 1,841 yards (8.5 YPA) with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. All four of his top options might not play, and the leading receiver without an injury designation is fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Despite having arguably the most talented defense in the NFL, San Francisco is in the middle of the pack in terms of both scoring defense and total defense thus far in 2024. Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, and Dre Greenlaw are all injured and out for this game, while Nick Bosa is seen as questionable. They are committing too many penalties too despite being on the field less often than any other defense in the league.
Sunday Night Football Prediction
Dallas feels like the right side in this one even though the line is not as tempting as it was at the open. Still, it’s nice to be getting 4.5 points with a team coming off a bye considering San Francisco’s recent play and injury woes. The Cowboys stand a good chance of pulling off the upset, and I think they will have a strong opening script after a week off.
Final Score: Dallas 26, San Francisco 22
