NFL Preseason Week 3: Oakland at Dallas Odds & Betting Picks

Dallas and Oakland both had breakout regular seasons last year, only to see their hopes dashed in the first round of the postseason. The Raiders’ fall was somewhat predictable, given that they lost quarterback Derek Carr to a broken leg — and then saw backup Matt McGloin go down to injury as well, which meant that third-string rookie Connor Cook was sent into action. The Cowboys posted a 13-3 record but then forgot to play defense in the first half against Green Bay in the divisional round of the playoffs. They mounted a furious comeback in the second half but were unable to close the gap. Last week, Oakland fell at home to the Los Angeles Rams, 24-21, as that Ram offense dominated the first quarter. Dallas knocked off the Indianapolis Colts at home last week, 24-19. Now, they meet in the NFL Preseason this week. The Cowboys are betting favorites over the Raiders in the NFL odds.

NFL Preseason Week 3: Oakland at Dallas Odds & Betting Picks

#ThrowbackThursday #OAKvsDAL pic.twitter.com/uSbFTvr46t

— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) August 24, 2017

When: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 8:00 PM ET Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX TV: Local Affiliates Only Radio: KGMZ 95.5 FM (Oakland) / KRLD 105.3 FM (Dallas) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Preseason Odds: Dallas -3, O/U Total 44.5

Weather Forecast

• Mostly Cloudy: 28^°C/82^°F
• Humidity: 60%
• Precipitation: 2%
• Wind: 11 mph ENE
• Cloud Cover: 60%
• Type of Stadium: Retractable

Why should you bet on the Raiders?

Derek Carr showed no carryover from that broken leg a year ago, going 7 for 9 against a stout Ram defense, picking up 100 yards and tossing two touchdown passes — along with a pick. Marshawn Lynch made a brief appearance, carrying the ball twice for 10 yards in his first game action since the 2015 campaign in seattle. If Carr can maintain that form and Lynch can blossom into Beast Mode, the Raiders will have a dangerous offense this year. If the starters had played the entire game, the Raiders likely would have won, as it was their backups who gave up the late touchdown that let the Rams have the victory. However, the Raider defense that gave up those two touchdowns in the first period was their starting unit — and it’s not like Jared Goff is an MVP quarterback, at least not at this point in his career. The Raiders did not do a very good job rushing the passer, and so Goff was able to pick the secondary apart. The Raiders need better run defense and pass coverage as well, because the Cowboys showed a lot of poise with their first-team offense on Saturday night against the Colts.

Why should you put your money on the Cowboys?

Dak Prescott had one of the best seasons of a rookie starting quarterback in the history of the National Football League, throwing for 23 touchdowns with only four picks. The other rookie in the backfield, tailback Ezekiel Elliott, led the NFL with 1,631 yards on the ground and scored 15 touchdowns. As a matter of fact, Prescott looked like there will be no sophomore-season slump in his preseason opener, going 7 for 8 for 108 yards and a score, for a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating. Cooper Rush made a strong case to take the #2 job, throwing a pair of touchdown passes on consecutive drives. The Dallas defense was impressive — although the Colts did not play quarterback Andrew Luck in this game. They did a better job stopping the pass than they did against the Rams a week ago, but with Derek Carr throwing to Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, Dallas will get all they want as far as a test this week. This could easily turn into one of those rare preseason barnburners.

Oakland Raiders vs Dallas Cowboys Game History

• Total Meetings: 11
• First Meeting: December 14th, 1974. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Oakland, California.
• Last Meeting: November 28th, 2013. AT&T Stadium. Arlington, Texas.
• All-Time Series: Oakland 6-5-0
• Largest Margin of Victory: Dallas 24-7 (2009)
• Longest Win Streak: Oakland 3 (1998-2005)
• Current Win Streak: Dallas 2 (2009-2013)

Expert NFL Preseason Pick and Final Score Prediction

We got used to seeing that Dallas offensive line dictate the pace of games last season, grinding down the opposition for drive after drive while Prescott sat back in the pocket with plenty of time to pass and Elliott galloped through mammoth holes up front. Carr and the Oakland offense will test the defensive packages that Dallas has, but I see Dallas controlling the rhythm and winning this preseason matchup, 31-27.