Bengals vs. Cowboys Picks, Predictions NFL Week 2: Can Dallas Win without Prescott?
The Dallas Cowboys suffered an ugly 19-3 loss on their home field last week and now host the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals without QB Dak Prescott. Here are our top Bengals-Cowboys picks.
It’s been a difficult start to the season for Dallas (0-1), which lost both its game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Prescott to injury in Week 1. The Cowboys are big home underdogs on Sunday to Cincinnati (0-1), which lost in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers in its season opener.
Here are our Bengals-Cowboys picks and predictions for their NFL Week 2 matchup (odds via Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Bengals vs. Cowboys Game Info
Date: Sunday, Sept. 18, 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Weather: 95 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 8-mph winds
Bengals vs. Cowboys Odds Analysis
There's heavily lopsided support on the Bengals. The opening line of Cowboys -2.5 has flipped to Bengals -7. Eighty-nine percent of the tickets and 94% of the handle are backing the Bengals.
The Over/Under has also plummeted from the opening line of 50 down to 41.5. The absence of Prescott is certainly having a major impact as 80% of the handle is on the Under.
Bengals vs. Cowboys Picks
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Bengals vs. Cowboys ATS Pick
Cowboys +7.5 (-110) ★★★
Is Prescott worth more than a touchdown to the spread? I’m not convinced that’s the case.
Cooper Rush was quite competent in his first career start when Dak was injured in 2021, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. That included a game-winning drive in the final minute.
Prescott’s absence could also force Dallas to stay more committed to the running game, which can only be a good thing. Ezekiel Elliott gained at least five yards on eight of his 10 rushing attempts last week against Tampa Bay. Tony Pollard has also been effective when given the rock the past couple of years.
Meanwhile, Dallas’ defense could cause some problems for a Cincinnati offensive line that doesn’t look any better than in 2021 after allowing seven sacks during the season opener. Cincy was sloppy and a bit out of sync in Week 1 after Burrow missed a good chunk of training camp due to an appendectomy. It could still take some time for the Bengals to regain their form.
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Bengals vs. Cowboys O/U Pick
Over 41.5 (-110) ★★★★★
There’s also been a dramatic adjustment to the total following Prescott's injury, and once again it appears like too much.
Cincinnati hasn’t played in a game with a total this low since the 2020 season, with at least 41 points scored in 16 of their last 19 games. The Bengals moved the ball with ease last week against Pittsburgh and still managed 20 points despite turning the ball over five times.
Dallas was the highest-scoring team in 2021, averaging 31.2 points per game. The Cowboys’ offense hasn’t been nearly as lethal since the midway point of last season. But the unit is still capable of moving the ball efficiently. Even with Prescott out, a total in a Dallas game shouldn’t be set this low when the Cowboys are up against a decent but not dominant defense.
Bengals vs. Cowboys Prop Pick
Elliott Over 54.5 Rushing yards (-101) ★★★
Zeke is Dallas’ second-highest paid player, and now is the time for the Ohio State product to produce. One of Elliott’s highest-usage games in 2021 came when Rush started, and he’d likely have received more than 16 carries had Dallas not been playing from behind in the second half.
Elliott has gone over this yardage total just once in his last 13 games. But he’s topped the 50-yard plateau in each of the last eight when the veteran has been given 16-plus carries.
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Bengals-Cowboys picks made 9/16/2022 at 9:28 a.m. ET
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