Raiders vs. Cowboys Thanksgiving Odds, Preview, Pick and Prediction
Raiders vs. Cowboys Odds
| Raiders Odds | +7.5 |
| Cowboys Odds | -7.5 |
| Over/Under | 51.5 |
| Date | Thursday, Nov. 25 |
| Time | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS |
The Las Vegas Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys will play the second of three Thanksgiving Day games this year when they play on Thursday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. Oddsmakers are expecting a comfortable victory for the Cowboys, pricing Dallas as a touchdown favorite on the spread.
In this Thanksgiving football betting preview, we’ll take a closer look at the Raiders vs. Cowboys odds, their matchups, and conclude with the game’s best pick at online sportsbooks.
Las Vegas Raiders (+7.5)
The Raiders began the season a surprising 5-2 with notable wins against the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, this group has not won since their bye week, losing three consecutive matchups to the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Cincinnati Bengals.
On the season, Carr ranks third in the NFL with 3,041 passing yards, but he ranks only 12th in passing touchdowns and 15th in QBR. Carr has an unimpressive 6-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the Raiders’ last four games, and he has thrown at least one interception in seven of his last eight games. Per Pro Football Focus, Carr completed each of his six pass attempts for 92 yards last week against the Bengals, but a large deficit failed to elicit many opportunities to use such plays. Offensive line play continues to be a major issue as well. In Week 11, Josh Jacobs had 32 of his 37 yards on the ground after contact. There is some hope that Jacobs and the run game could find some success against a Dallas defense allowing 4.4 yards-per-carry, but Las Vegas remains a tough offense to trust regardless of their opponent after three consecutive weeks of scoring 16 points or less.
Defensively, the Raiders are allowing a dreadful 4.5 yards-per-carry. They have also been unimpressive against the pass, allowing opposing signal callers to throw for 18 touchdowns against only four interceptions—good for a 96.2 passer rating. Casey Hayward Jr. has been outstanding in coverage and Trevon Moehrig has been solid at safety, but Brandon Facyson and Johnathan Abram have been social-distance paragons. The Raiders could struggle to stop a strong Dallas running game on Thursday.
Dallas Cowboys (-7.5)
Dallas has been one of the hardest teams in the league to figure out over the last month of action. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings on the road with Cooper Rush under center, but were subsequently embarrassed on their home field by the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys responded with a 40-point victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, but scored only nine points against a weak Kansas City Chiefs defense in a losing effort last Sunday.
Dak Prescott has been far from impressive since returning from injury. In three games, he has totaled only four passing touchdowns against three interceptions and has taken seven sacks. Only once in three games has he thrown for more than 216 yards. The Cowboys offensive line remains one of the most talented in the NFL when healthy, but the absence of Tyron Smith has been acutely felt over the last three weeks. Following a full practice session on both Tuesday and Wednesday, all signs point to him suiting up on Thursday. CeeDee Lamb remains questionable for Thanksgiving’s action after logging only a limited practice on Wednesday.
On the defensive side of the ball, Dallas has three good players and a lot of question marks. Linebacker Micah Parsons, Safety Jayron Kearse, and Cornerback Anthony Brown have been excellent in 2021. Yet, the rest of this unit has been highly suspect. Dallas has 15 interceptions of opposing quarterbacks this year, but good fortune in the turnover department overshadows a mediocre 7.5 yards allowed per attempt. Dallas has also been vulnerable on the ground, permitting 4.4 yards-per-carry.
Raiders vs. Cowboys Pick & Prediction
Las Vegas has scored 16 points or less in each of their three contests since the bye week. Dallas has scored 20 points or less in three of their last four games. Neither of these defensive units should inspire bettors to risk the house on the under in this situation, but poor quarterback play and a short week of practice could result in a lower-scoring affair. The under has value in this spot.
PICKS: Under 51.5 (-110)
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