The Dallas Cowboys will welcome the Las Vegas Raiders to town for one last tune-up game this weekend. The preseason finale will begin at 8 p.m. ET inside AT&T Stadium and will be broadcast through NFL+.
The 2023-24 NFL season is just around the corner, but we have one last batch of preseason games to get to this weekend. For the Dallas Cowboys, that means a matchup with a Las Vegas Raiders squad that has looked pretty good this preseason.
Las Vegas is 2-0 through two weeks, which features a 34-7 shellacking of the San Francisco 49ers and a 34-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders are 2-0 ATS and 2-0 to the over thus far.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are 0-2 entering this weekend. Dallas was handed a 28-23 defeat by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, only to follow that up with a 22-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday. Dallas is 0-2 ATS and 1-1 on totals to this point.
FanDuel Sportsbook has made the Raiders 5-point favorites for the preseason finale, with an over/under of 38.5.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Dallas Cowboys vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, NFL+
Point spread (from FanDuel): Raiders -5
Money line: Raiders -210/Cowboys +175
Over/under: 38.5
Analysis: The final week of the preseason isn’t about who will be starting and for how long, which is a good thing for Dallas. Dak Prescott has not played in a preseason game since 2019, so don’t expect to see much of the starting lineup out there in Week 3.
This weekend is about fringe players trying to make the final roster heading into the regular season. For a team like the Raiders, that is more significant due to their low expectations entering the year. There is a chance some of these young standouts actually end up being major contributors.
For example, quarterback Aidan O’Connell is coming off a two-touchdown performance against the Rams. He is competing to be the backup quarterback, an important role given Jimmy Garappolo’s history of getting injured. Running back Zamir White is playing to become a key member of this offense, especially given Josh Jacobs’ current contract situation.
As a result, this game just means more to the visiting team. The Raiders’ reserves have offered more juice this preseason, and there is no reason to believe that will change.
Prediction: Raiders 23, Cowboys 14
