The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers meet in what could be an early NFC Championship Game preview to cap off Week 5’s Sunday slate. The 5-0 49ers, led by offensive superstar Christian McCaffrey might be the hottest team in the NFL, averaging 31.3 points through four weeks. They face a Cowboys defense that has been mostly dominant this season. All-Pro Micah Parsons is the clear early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, and Dallas’ secondary remains formidable despite the loss of Trevon Diggs two weeks ago.
In a huge matchup like this, there are plenty of betting opportunities, and our experts have you covered with everything you need to know to bet on Sunday night’s game.
All odds and lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
The San Francisco 49ers (-4, 45) are currently favorites over the Dallas Cowboys entering their matchup on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ What are your thoughts on the total and spread of this game?
Eric Moody: 49ers -4.0. The Cowboys are 3-1 against the spread this year, but they haven’t faced a complete team like the 49ers. The Cowboys’ defense has struggled this season against the run, allowing opponents to gain 4.6 yards per attempt. Expect Kyle Shanahan to exploit this weakness with Christian McCaffrey. The Cowboys’ offensive line may have trouble with San Francisco’s defensive front, ranking 22nd in pass block win rate.
Al Zeidenfeld: The Cowboys are passing more in neutral game situations than they have in the past 10 years, but the problem is, they’ve had less neutral-type snaps than most teams because of their two blowout wins. I do think this game plays at a faster pace than many would imagine and is likely to go over the total of 45 points.
McCaffrey has been one of the best players in the NFL through the first four weeks of the season. His rushing prop is 73.5 yards, and he is -240 to score a touchdown and +240 to score two or more touchdowns. Do you see McCaffrey having another big game against this stout Dallas defense?
Eric Moody: McCaffrey will have a big game against the Cowboys. He leads the 49ers in receptions and leads the league in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns. McCaffrey has averaged 24.5 touches per game this season, and with Elijah Mitchell out, he should be leaned on heavily Sunday night. I like McCaffrey to surpass 73.5 rushing yards and to score two or more touchdowns. Considering McCaffrey has already scored seven touchdowns this season and can threaten defenses as a runner and receiver, he is a great candidate to score multiple touchdowns against the Cowboys.
Anita Marks: McCaffrey has scored a touchdown in 13 straight games, two shy of the NFL record of 15 held by O.J. Simpson and John Riggins. I’m going to bet that McCaffrey breaks the record. Could he go 26 straight through the end of the regular season? Possibly. Either way, I’m certain Shanahan would love to help his RB by giving him plenty of carries and red zone touches Sunday night.
Al Zeidenfeld: It’s a pick-your-poison situation for any team that plays against the 49ers with All-Pro caliber talent at every targetable position of the offense. If teams load the box to stop McCaffery, they get torched by Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk or George Kittle. McCaffrey’s touchdown streak has to end at some point, but laying -240 on a score seems like a terrible idea to me.
What is your favorite prop bet for 49ers-Cowboys?
Eric Moody: Tony Pollard over 21.5 receiving yards. Pollard has averaged 4.2 targets, 3.7 receptions and 15.2 receiving yards per game this season. He should be able to surpass those numbers against a stout 49ers defense. Running backs stockpile a ton of receptions against San Francisco, who have allowed 33.5 receiving yards per game to opponents this season. The Cowboys might need to rely more on Pollard as a receiver out of the backfield, given how their offensive line is playing at the moment.
Anita Marks: McCaffery to score a TD and 49ers ML (+116).
What is your best bet for Sunday night’s game?
Eric Moody: Brandon Aiyuk over 57.5 receiving yards. The Cowboys haven’t given up more than 100 receiving yards to an opposing player this season. That could change on Sunday night against Aiyuk, who has averaged 106.7 receiving yards per game. Dallas relies heavily on man coverage, and Aiyuk is an expert at exploiting it. The Cowboys’ defense will have so many offensive playmakers to keep track of that Aiyuk should have another opportunity to shine.
Anita Marks: 49ers (-3). The 49ers are the better all-around team. The Cowboys’ defense is not good against the run and that is where the 49ers thrive. Dallas has struggled in the red zone this season, with 85 red zone plays, and only eight touchdowns to show for it. A 10% TD rate is not going to get the job done out West.
