The NFL playoffs are finally here and the Dallas Cowboys are back in the mix contending for a Super Bowl.
Of course, that’s a long way down the road, but you must qualify for the postseason in order to have that chance.
Dallas begins its hopeful run with a home game thanks to its NFC East title. It faces an old, but familiar foe in the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon.
Although we’re still waiting on Texas sports betting, residents in the Lone Star State can place wagers in locations like Louisiana.
Currently, the Cowboys are favored by just a field goal, laying -3 at DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re available at -165on the moneyline, whereas the Niners have odds of +145.
Betting on Cowboys vs. 49ers Wild Card
Although they haven’t met since the 1994 NFC Championship, Cowboys and 49ers fans are well versed in the history between the two sides.
They played one another in three straight years to decide the conference, with the winning team going on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy two weeks later. Dallas won the first two, while the Niners earned the last win.
This weekend’s tilt doesn’t hold quite the same importance, however, both fan bases are certainly excited about making a playoff run.
This is the first postseason game between them in a long time, but they got together just last season. Dallas won by a final of 41-33.
This year has been much better for both teams. Dallas took the division behind a 12-5 record and feel like an actual threat with a real defense.
San Francisco snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. It did so in tremendous fashion, defeating its divisional rival in Los Angeles by a crazy comeback.
Even though quarterback remains somewhat of a question for the Niners, their running attack and defense provide issues for opponents.
Jimmy Garoppolo is their signal caller for the rest of this year, with rookie Trey Lance waiting for the future.
Garoppolo’s shown he’s capable, but commits a lot of mistakes, too.
Luckily, he’s got guys like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, who are better than most weapons in the NFL.
Kittle caught 71 passes for over 900 yards as one of the top tight ends in football. Samuel exploded this season, exceeding 1,400 yards through the air and rushing for another 365.
The Cowboys defense proved to hold their own all year, but should have their hands full limiting these two the entire afternoon.
Cowboys vs. 49ers props
Regardless of how well Dallas plays on defense, its offense needs to put up some points. While it hit a rough patch toward the end of the schedule, it seems it figured a few things out.
Dallas scored 56 against Washington and 51 against Philadelphia in two of its final three matchups.
It wants to run the ball consistently, then use Dak Prescott and his receivers for big plays. If Dallas can’t produce yards on the ground, then it could have a tough time scoring a lot on Sunday.
Receiver Michael Gallup is out for the year, but there’s no shortage of talent on the outside. Cedrick Wilson looks solid in multiple starts this season.
Prescott also has a few playmakers in Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, so San Francisco’s secondary is in for a test.
Besides the main odds for this game, bettors can put some action down on a wide variety of team and player props.
The first-touchdown scorer is always interesting, with running backs getting enhanced odds over others. DraftKings shows San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell at +700, along with his teammate Samuel and Dallas’ Zeke Elliott.
Lamb and Kittle feature the best odds for receivers, both available at +1100.
This market is always fun because you can also take a chance on a long shot. Someone like the Niners’ Mohamed Sanu is offered at +3500, compared to the Cowboys’ Blake Jarwin listed at +4000.
