Cowboys vs. Texans Point Spread: NFL Week 5 Odds, Prediction
When the NFL schedule was released and Cowboys-Texans was a prime-time game, it looked like a fantastic matchup with two expected playoff contenders led by exciting young quarterbacks in Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson, respectively.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Dak Prescott was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Watson was well on his way to winning that award a year ago before suffering a season-ending ACL tear around midseason.
Alas, things haven’t quite worked out with Houston tied for last in the AFC South at 1-3. The Cowboys are 2-2 but have a negative point differential (minus-10).
The Texans have only been in existence since 2002 and they play teams from each NFC division once every four years, so they have played the Cowboys just four times. Houston won the first in ’02 but has dropped the past three. The teams do play preseason games against one another. Dallas won that this year 14-6 in the exhibition finale, but no starters from either side played.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have alternated losses and wins thus far, improving to 2-0 at home with a 26-24 win over Detroit on Sunday. Dallas blew a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead and needed a late drive by Prescott, capped by Brett Maher’s 38-yard field goal as time expired. Prescott had easily his best game of the year in throwing for 255 yards – he hadn’t topped 170 – and two scores.
Ezekiel Elliott also blew up with 152 yards rushing to go with four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Elliott is the first NFL player to have more than 150 yards rushing and more than 80 yards receiving in the same game since Oakland’s Michael Bush on Nov. 10, 2011. Elliott leads the NFL in rushing. Dallas played without one of its best defensive players in linebacker Sean Lee. He’s the heart and soul of that unit and is week to week with a hamstring injury.
Houston Texans
There was some talk that the Texans were considering firing head coach Bill O’Brien if the team lost Sunday in Indianapolis to fall to 0-4. O’Brien’s job is safe for one more week after Houston won 37-34 in overtime thanks in part to a baffling decision late in overtime by Colts head coach Frank Reich. His decision to go for it on fourth down at his own 43 would essentially lead to Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning 37-yard field goal. He earlier had missed a 59-yarder to win at the end of regulation.
Watson threw for 375 yards and two scores as Houston snapped an NFL-high nine-game losing streak. There’s still some reason to be concerned with the Texans allowing 478 yards and Watson, behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines, being sacked seven times. Starting receiver Will Fuller left with a hamstring injury.
