Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team: NFL Week 14 betting odds, preview, and pick

A classic NFL rivalry will be renewed at FedEx Field on Sunday afternoon as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Washington Football Team.

Dallas was able to shake off two straight losses in Week 13, as they forced four Taysom Hill turnovers en route to a 27-17 road win over the New Orleans Saints. Rested since that Thursday affair, they’ll take on a Washington squad that’s won four straight contests.

Our wagering preview for this crucial NFC East tilt is below.

Dallas Cowboys (8-4) at Washington Football Team (6-6), 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Cowboys should put the ball in Prescott's hands

The Cowboys bring the NFL’s top offense by yards per game (416.3) into this clash, but they should be braced for a challenge nonetheless. Washington’s defense has held the opposition to an average of 286.8 yards of offense during their four-game win streak. This unit has been particularly stringy on the ground in this span, surrendering only 68.5 rushing yards per tilt.

While Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard may be limited in the running game, Dak Prescott should still be able to commandeer several scoring drives. Dallas has been relying more and more on his arm of late, as he’s thrown at least 39 passes in five of his last six games. The lone exception was a 31-pass game in a 43-3 slaughter of the Atlanta Falcons, in which Prescott hit the bench in the fourth quarter.

Don’t be shocked if Amari Cooper proves to be Prescott’s favorite target in this one – he accounted for 13 catches, 192 yards, and a touchdown in two meetings with Washington last season.

Gibson can't carry Washington

Antonio Gibson has blossomed into a workhorse for the WFT, averaging 23.8 attempts and 89.5 yards over his last four games. He’s also mixed in 14 catches and 72 receiving yards in that stretch, and accounted for three all-purpose touchdowns.

But if Washington wants to win this contest, they’ll need a big game from quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who has been more of a “game manager” than a “game winner” this year. His 92.1 passer rating places him a modest 15th among full-time NFL quarterbacks this season, and the Cowboys allow the third-lowest opponent passer rating in football (79.8).

Cowboys vs. Washington injury report

Cowboys and Washington betting trends

• The Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games against NFC opponents
• The Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games
• Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against teams with winning records
• Washington is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games against NFC East opponents
• The Under is 5-1 in the Cowboys’ last six games overall
• The Under is 10-3 in Washington’s last 13 home games

The verdict

If Prescott doesn’t win this one through the air, then it could come down to turnovers, and the Cowboys have a pronounced advantage in that department over Washington (+7 turnover differential for Dallas, compared to -5 for the WFT).

But laying the points with the Cowboys doesn’t seem quite as strong a bet as the Under.

Score prediction: Cowboys 23, Washington 20

NFL pick: Under 47.5

Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Cowboys to win and cover the spread against Washington.