They play during the regular season just once every four years, but it’s kind of a big deal in the state of Texas. The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans even comes with added incentive to the victor in the form of the Governor’s Cup. Both teams are coming off wins last week with the Boys evening their slate by dumping the Lions and the Texans getting in the win column for the first time with an overtime thriller at Indianapolis. Houston has been able to churn out the yards and their fifth-ranked offense will be put to the test against Dallas’ strong defensive line, which could make for anxious moments for over bettors on the NFL betting lines.
Watch this Week 5 regular season NFL matchup live on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at 8:20 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dallas Cowboys +3
Houston Texans -3
Over/Under 45.5
They say everything is bigger in Texas, however the point totals when these teams get together have been rather miniscule. Of course the Texans didn’t have Deshaun Watson around for those previous tilts and he’s made a big difference in his short time. We expected the Texans to be good offensively this year with Watson back in the lineup and they haven’t disappointed. Houston averages the fifth-most yards per game with nearly 414, but until last week, it hadn’t translated into victories. Houston scores 24 points per game and they’ll be facing a good Cowboys defense.
It looks like Will Fuller is in line to play this week and that’s good news for Watson and the Texans offense. Watson threw for 375 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week playing a majority of the game without Fuller. In his place Keke Coutee got a good look and the offense showed flashes of what it accomplished last year with Watson at the helm. With Fuller, DeAndre Hopkins and now Coutee, the Texans got creative in their attack last week. And Watson is feeling more comfortable now that he has a few games under his belt after his knee surgery.
The result was a lethal game plan that allowed Houston to rack up 466 yards of offense against the Colts. Houston has struggled on the other side of the football and even the Cowboys could take advantage of that. All signs point to this game cashing the over on the NFL betting line at BookMaker.eu and it would be a smart move to play the total now since the number will increase on the in-game betting line.
With the NFL’s rushing leader on their side, look for the Cowboys to pound the ball with Ezekiel Elliott just like they did last week. The Boys looked a lot like the 2016 version with Elliott scampering for 152 yards and 6.1 yards per carry and Dak Prescott being efficient in the passing game. Elliott did his best Todd Gurley impression last week adding 88 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches for a total of 240 scrimmage yards.
That’s not going to happen every week, but with the Cowboys still searching for a No. 1 receiver, Elliott has become a valuable asset out the backfield. There will be prop bets on Elliott and if you can find one at BookMaker.eu for his scrimmage yard total jump on the over since he will be featured prominently. And if the Cowboys get off to a slow start, don’t worry. We saw Indy mount a furious comeback last week and you can get adjusted odds and numbers on the in-game betting feature at BookMaker.eu.
There are some dangerous defensive players in this game and we can’t forget that side of the football. Watson was sacked seven times last week and he’ll have to evade the NFL’s sack leader on Sunday night. Demarcus Lawrence has 5.5 sacks this season and he’s followed closely by J.J. Watt, who is tied for second with 5.0. Dallas’ strength is running the football, which will limit Watt’s opportunities. But Watson likes to throw and he has a tendency of holding the ball too long. Advantage Lawrence, and go with him to add to his total on a prop bet at BookMaker.eu.
Cowboys at Texans Live Betting
Dallas came from behind late to get a win last week and the Texans nearly gave away a three-touchdown lead before conquering the Colts in overtime. We know Houston can move the ball and the Cowboys showed promise as well. That means no lead is safe and bettors can make up ground on the adjusted line and total with the in-game betting feature at BookMaker.eu.
NFL Betting Odds
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