The Dallas Cowboys will head to Nashville to face off with the Tennessee Titans for a Thursday Night throwdown. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Cowboys-Titans prediction and pick.
The Cowboys won a thriller last weekend as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 40-34 last weekend at AT&T Stadium. Dak Prescott completed 27 of 35 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Additionally, Ezekiel Elliot rushed 16 times for 55 yards for one touchdown on a 3.4 yards-per-carry rate. Tony Pollard rushed nine times for 19 yards while catching six passes for 61 yards. Ceedee Lamb exploded for 10 catches, 120 yards, and two touchdowns. Lastly, Dalton Schultz had three catches for 43 yards.
The Titans continued their descent, losing 19-14 to the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Significantly, it was their fifth loss in a row, highlighting what has been a terrible few weeks for the Titans. Malik Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 99 yards and two interceptions while rushing seven times for 43 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Derrick Henry rushed 23 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Subsequently, Robert Woods added four catches for 30 yards.
The Cowboys are 4-1 over their last five games. Also, they are 3-3 on the road. The Titans are 0-5 over their previous five. Likewise, they have not taken advantage of home field, going 3-4 at Nissan Stadium.
The Cowboys lead the all-time series 8-7. However, the Titans won the last meeting 28-14 at AT&T Stadium in 2018. Henry rushed six times for 27 yards and a touchdown in that contest. Conversely, Prescott completed 21 of 31 passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns, and an interception and Elliot added 17 rushes for 61 yards.
Here are the Cowboys-Titans NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Cowboys-Titans Odds
Dallas Cowboys: -10.5 (-105)
Tennessee Titans: +10.5 (-115)
Over: 40.5 (-104)
Under: 40.5 (-118)
Why The Cowboys Could Cover The Spread
The Cowboys are having a great season, despite being without Prescott for a few years earlier this year. Now, they hope to keep their slim division title hopes alive by going into Nashville and winning.
The offense has hummed and flowed this year. Ultimately, Dallas ranks third in points. But they are also 20th in time of possession. Thus, they score quickly often.
Prescott has a 69 percent completion rate with a 97.2 quarterback rating. Additionally, he has thrown for 2450 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions through 10 games. Elliot has rushed 204 times for 829 yards on a 4.1 yards-per-carry rate with 11 touchdowns while catching 17 passes for 92 yards. Meanwhile, Pollard has rushed 186 times for 988 yards for nine touchdowns on a 5.3 yards-per-carry rate and caught 39 passes for 371 yards and three scores. Lamb has 91 catches for 1207 yards for eight touchdowns. Also, Noah Brown has 41 catches for 538 yards and three scores. Schultz has 46 receptions for 488 yards and three touchdowns through 13 games. Likewise, Michael Gallup has 35 catches for 375 yards and four scores through 12 games.
The defense has played well this year. Significantly, they are sixth in points allowed per game. But the Cowboys are also second in sacks and fifth in interceptions.
Micah Parsons has spearheaded the defense with 42 solo tackles and 13 sacks. Additionally, Dorace Armstrong has added 14 solo tackles and eight sacks, including four over the previous three games.
The Cowboys will cover the spread if they can continue to run the ball efficiently. Additionally, they must also stop Henry from running all over them, forcing the Titans to pass.
Why The Titans Could Cover The Spread
The Titans have had a bad season by their standards. Moreover, things worsened when they learned Ryan Tannehill was out for the season with an ankle injury. Tennessee must rely on their third-round draft pick to lead the Titans out of their misery. However, he must actually find his receivers.
The Titans rank 27th in scoring and 25th in time of possession. Consequently, their offense has stalled all season. Willis has a lackluster quarterback rating of 42.8 with no touchdowns, and three interceptions and 276 yards. Moreover, he has rushed for 123 yards and one score while losing two fumbles. Henry has rushed 319 times for 1429 yards and 13 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Woods has caught 44 passes for 448 yards and just one score.
The defense has performed slightly better, ranking 11th in points allowed per game. Additionally, the Titans are 12th in sacks and 15th in interceptions. Denico Autry has 17 solo tackles and eight sacks. Also, Demarcus Walker has 20 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks. Jeffery Simmons has 24 solo tackles and 7.5 sacks. Lastly. Rashad Weaver has 16 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks.
The Titans will cover the spread if they can run the ball efficiently and set up play-action. Moreover, they must stop Elliot and Pollard from rushing.
Final Cowboys-Titans Prediction & Pick
The Cowboys are hot right now, and the Titans are ice-cold. However, the spread is too significant, and the Cowboys rarely dominate their matchups. Expect this game to go down to the wire.
Final Cowboys-Titans Prediction & Pick: Tennessee Titans: +10.5 (-115)
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