Betting Picks

Week 15: Dallas at Oakland SNF NFL Betting Preview and Pick

When the 2017 NFL schedule was released back on April 20, this Sunday night’s game between the Cowboys and Raiders appeared on pretty much every Top 10 games to watch list. And why not? The Raiders were a 12-win team in 2016 and the Cowboys led the NFC with 13 victories. Both were expected to be top Super Bowl contenders, not to mention they are two of the marquee franchises in the sport with instantly recognizable logos and nicknames.

Neither club has lived up to expectations, but expect monster TV ratings on the NBC telecast as well as drawing some of the highest betting action of the year at the various sportsbooks simply because they are the Cowboys and Raiders. Oakland is a 3-point dog in its home finale.

It’s probably fair to call this a playoff elimination game. The Cowboys (7-6 SU, 7-6 ATS) can’t repeat in the NFC East division as the Philadelphia Eagles have clinched that. Dallas sits 10^th in the NFC overall standings. It’s probably going to take the Cowboys winning out to earn a wild-card spot and even that might not be enough. Dallas closes its schedule vs. Seattle and at Philadelphia – which has lost Carson Wentz and might have nothing to play for in Week 17.

The Cowboys have followed a three-game losing streak in which they totaled just 22 points with back-to-back blowout wins and scoring 68 combined points. Dak Prescott threw for a career-high 332 yards along with three touchdowns in last Sunday’s 30-10 victory at the Giants. Running back Rod Smith had 160 yards from scrimmage. This will be Dallas’ last game without 2016 NFL rushing king Ezekiel Elliott as he serves the finale of his six-game suspension. It also should be the team’s final visit to Oakland with the Raiders set to move to Las Vegas in a couple of years.

Oakland (6-7 SU, 4-8-1 ATS) hasn’t been able to put together much of a winning streak this season, twice winning two in a row but then losing by double digits looking for a three-game run. That was the case this past Sunday in Kansas City, a 26-15 defeat. Derek Carr, who played like an MVP candidate last year before breaking his leg, was not sharp again in completing 24 of 41 for 211 yards and two picks. Most of his numbers came in garbage time after his team was down 26-0; through three quarters, Carr had just 69 yards passing against a Chiefs defense that had been torched in recent weeks and entered ranked 30^th overall in the NFL.

The Raiders are a game behind the Chiefs and Chargers in the AFC West, but those two play each other on Saturday night. Oakland closes with games at Philadelphia and at the Chargers.

Both Carr and Prescott have been good in their careers in prime-time games with Carr at 6-2 straight up and Prescott 8-2. Take the Raiders getting a field goal. Dallas is just 2-6 ATS in its past eight December games overall.